Interpretation manual of the marine EUNIS habitats in the Nature Restoration Regulation (ETC BE Report 2025/2)

The recently adopted Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) sets clear restoration targets for marine ecosystems, and provides the legal basis for using the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) classification for the implementation of restoration targets for specified EUNIS marine habitat types. While the NRR categorizes the EUNIS marine habitat types into seven groups, covering greatly differentiated habitats across the four EU marine regions, it does not provide further explanation of the characteristic species communities, geophysical descriptions, habitat distribution, and biogeographical parameters. The purpose of this manual is to address the need for a more extensive interpretation of the 233 marine habitat types listed in Annex II of the NRR. It guides Member States in the definition of these habitats, their abiotic and biotic characteristics, biogeographical distribution, and in understanding the linkages between other habitat typologies In addition, this manual brings scattered habitat information together to support the mapping, assessing and planning of effective restoration measures for the national restoration plans.