Two new policy briefs were developed within the SELINA project, a product of the “Derive a minimum set of key ecosystem condition indicators per ecosystem type” task, providing a framework for monitoring ecosystem pressures and recovery across the European Union.

The policy briefs contribute to SELINA's efforts to support evidence-based environmental decision-making by developing practical tools for ecosystem assessment and policy implementation.

“Prioritising EU Environmental Action: The Human Pressure Index as a Spatial Decision-Support Tool” presents the Human Pressure Index (HPI), a tool designed to identify where ecosystems are most at risk from human pressures and where environmental action may be most effective. By combining information on multiple pressures into a single spatial framework, the HPI supports the targeting of conservation, restoration and management efforts across the European Union.

Building on this perspective, the second brief, “Measuring What Matters: A Minimum Set of Ecosystem Condition Indicators for EU Environmental Policy”, focuses on ecosystem condition and recovery. It presents a harmonised approach to monitoring ecosystem condition across the European Union, helping assess whether ecosystems maintain their structure, biodiversity and resilience over time while supporting consistent environmental reporting and assessment.

Together, the two policy briefs support evidence-based decision-making and the implementation of key EU policies, including the Nature Restoration Regulation, Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Common Agricultural Policy, Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Both publications are available through the SELINA Zenodo community, ensuring open access to SELINA-supported scientific outputs and contributing to the project's commitment to making scientific knowledge accessible to policymakers, practitioners and researchers across Europe.