Ecosystem services: Interregional cooperation for sustaining the European natural capital

Ecosystem services are goods and services provided by nature that human welfare depends on. This policy brief addresses the EU policies, approaches and good practices aimed at the protection and restoration of ecosystem services.

It is important to understand the values and services provided by natural ecosystems since they are the driving force for the long-term protection and restoration of European natural capital. Any damage to natural ecosystems carries significant costs for business and society as the services they provide represent significant share of the economy. The ability to restore ecosystem services once they are lost is extremely limited due to the complexity of interactions within and among ecosystems.