Farmland supports many habitats and species of European conservation concern. In 2003, Europe's environment ministers agreed to identify all farmland areas with high nature value and take conservation measures. This report shows that these areas cover roughly 15-25 % of the European countryside...

The EU has highlighted the importance of using the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) to prevent the abandonment of high nature value farmland and its intensification as a key action to halt biodiversity decline. The present report sets out to assess whether the current distribution of CAP funds is...

This study undertakes an analysis of the environmental dimensions of territorial cohesion and of related EU policies. It is intended to contribute to and support external processes including the European Commission's Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion, revision of the EU budget (e.g. regarding...

Developments in land use patterns across Europe are generating considerable concern, particularly in relation to achievement of environmental goals. Land use trends — such as urban sprawl and land abandonment — are jeopardising the future for sustainable land use. Moreover, these trends...