Natura 2000 protected land area (i72)
- 31/10/2025
- objective
- assessment assessment
In 2023, 12.7% of the Belgian land surface was a Natura 2000 protected area. To achieve the sustainable development goal, this figure must be at least 30% by 2030. This objective will not be reached by continuing the trend since 2011 (data available in November 2025). The Belgian land surface registered as Natura 2000 protected areas is therefore developing unfavourably.
Natura 2000 protected land area - Belgium - trend assessment
percentage of land surface
| 2000 | 2011 | 2015 | 2020 | 2023 | 2025 | 2030 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| observations | -- | 11.4 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | -- | -- |
| trend and extrapolation (November 2025) | -- | 12.2 | 12.6 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 |
| objective | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 |
Source: Data BE: EEA (2025), Natura 2000 barometer statistics, http://www.eea.europa.eu/, last update of data 12/03/2025 23:00 (consulted on 02/07/2025); calculations FPB.
Natura 2000 protected land area - Belgium and international comparison
percentage of land surface
| 2011 | 2015 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023//2011 | 2023//2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 11.4 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| EU27 | 12.8 | 18.6 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 18.6 | 18.6 | 3.1 | 0.1 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | ||||||||
Source: Data BE: EEA (2025), Natura 2000 barometer statistics, http://www.eea.europa.eu/, last update of data 12/03/2025 23:00 (consulted on 02/07/2025); calculations FPB.
Natura 2000 protected land area by region - Belgium
percentage of land surface
| 1996 | 2000 | 2008 | 2010 | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2023 | 2023//1996 | 2023//2008 | 2023//2019 | 2023//2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels-Capital Region | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 14.3 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | -- | -- | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Flemish Region | 9.7 | 9.7 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Walloon Region | -- | -- | 13.1 | -- | -- | -- | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||||
Source: INBO (2025), Oppervlakte Natura 2000-gebied, https://www.vlaanderen.be/inbo/indicatoren/oppervlakte-natura-2000-gebied, last update of data 27/02/2025 (consulted on 02/07/2025); IBSA (2025), Environnement et territoire, https://ibsa.brussels/themes/environnement-et-energie/environnement-et-territoire, last update of data 05/05/2025 (consulted on 02/07/2025); SPW (2025), Direct communication 03/07/2025.
Definition: this indicator represents the share of the Natura 2000 protected land area (under the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC - Official Journal of the European Union, 22/7/1992 - and/or the Birds Directive 79/409/EEC - Official Journal of the European Union, 25/4/1979) in the total area of the Belgian territory. The Belgian and European data come from the European Environment Agency. The regional data come from the Institut bruxellois de statistique et d'analyse, the Instituut natuur-en bosonderzoek and the Service public de Wallonie.
It should also be noted that the Natura 2000 sites are only a fraction of the protected areas in Belgium.
The following breakdown is available for this indicator: region.
Goal: a share of 30% of protected land area.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 15.1: “By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements”
The Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity of December 2022 has adopted new goals, among which "Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas […] are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures" (target 10, CBD, 2022).
The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development contains objective 37: “The goods and services provided by ecosystems will be restored, valorised and used prudently and sustainably, contributing directly to the maintenance of biodiversity” (Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013).
UN indicator: the selected indicator is related to indicator 15.1.2 - Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type. The indicator represents a part of the protected area in Belgium, in the absence of a specific indicator on the protection of important areas for biological diversity.
Sources
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Belgian Official Gazette: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/welcome.pl; research on http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/doc/rech_f.htm.
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CBD (2022), Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework, CBD/COP/15/L.25.
- Official Journal of the European Union: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/oj/direct-access.html?locale=nen.
At www.indicators.be the Federal Planning Bureau presents sustainable development indicators.
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