Mr. Niall Curley:

Yes and the Senator will see a biodiversity strategy on the third slide. There are four different pillars within the biodiversity strategy; protect and restore nature, enable transformative change and EU action to support biodiversity globally.

Restoration comes under the second pillar. Special areas of conservation are a different thing and they may be a tangent to this discussion. Perhaps we need to raise awareness that coming down the track for all EU countries, particularly Ireland, are targets to protect 30% of all EU territorial land and sea. This includes national parks under Natura 2000. If memory serves, the specific percentage for protection is 18%. A total of 12% of all EU land will have to be under a protection order by 2030. These targets are coming and how they will be divvied up and the pledges will be released in November or December. A target of 10% strict protection is attached to this. This strict protection means no activity will be able to take place. At present this percentage is 3%. I mention this because it is hoped the restoration measures taken in the first years can be done in special areas of conservation and areas included in Natura 2000. This would mean the brunt can be taken later. This is the hope of those of us in Brussels who are working for stakeholders such as farmers and foresters.