At the end of 2025, the Biodiversity Information System for Europe (BISE) published technical guidelines providing the framework for the implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation (2024/1991). This regulation, which entered into force in August 2024, prioritizes the improvement of habitat condition, making accurate information on the structure, function, and species composition of Annex I habitats a legal necessity.

Recognizing the need for harmonized habitat monitoring, the European Commission and Member States developed these guidelines as a practical reference for authorities and scientific experts, ensuring consistent and comparable results across all EU Member States and biogeographical regions.

SER-Europe’s Technical Contributions

SER-Europe contributed technical expertise to refine the guidelines for forest habitats and the assessment of habitat fragmentation, ensuring the methods reflect current ecological knowledge and best practice. Additionally, individual SER members provided specialized scientific input to improve technical documentation for marine and coastal habitats. Their contributions include providing expertise on:

1. Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide (1140)
2. Large shallow inlets and bays (1160)
3. Reefs (1170)
4. Submarine structures made by leaking gases (1180)
5. Submerged or partially submerged sea caves (8330)

SER members acknowledged as contributors include Philine zu Ermgassen, Roberto Danovaro, Cristina Gambi, and Martina Gaglioti. These insights helped refine the guidelines for these marine and coastal habitats.

By supporting the development of these resources, SER-Europe and its members have helped establish standardized methodologies required to evaluate the success of large-scale restoration initiatives under the Nature Restoration Regulation. The guidelines ensure habitat condition assessments are based on the best available scientific knowledge, reducing methodological discrepancies across the EU.

Technical Guidelines

Technical guidelines for forests and habitat fragmentation:

• Forest habitats
• Guidelines to assess fragmentation of habitat types

Technical guidelines for marine and coastal habitats:

• Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide (1140)
• Large shallow inlets and bays (1160)
• Reefs (1170)
• Submarine structures made by leaking gases (1180)
• Submerged or partially submerged sea caves (8330)