European Union (EU) member states Monday adopted targets for biodiversity protection until 2050 after they failed to deliver on a target of halting biodiversity loss in the EU by 2010.

They now agreed on "a headline target of halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020," according to a conclusion adopted unanimously by EU environment ministers at a monthly meeting here.

A recent progress report produced by the European Commission showed the EU lags far behind its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.

It was alarmingly revealed that 50 percent of all species and up to 80 percent of habitat types in need of protection in Europe have "unfavorable conservation" status, which means there is a real danger of species decline.

EU ministers also agreed on a long-term vision for 2050 in terms of biodiversity protection, based on a proposal from the commission.

"By 2050 EU biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides are protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity's intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity, and so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided," they said.

Spanish environment minister Elena Espinosa, whose country holds the EU six-month rotating presidency, said at a press conference that the EU should not repeat its mistake after missing 2010 biodiversity targets, adding the new vision has set out clear targets.

EU commissioner for the environment Janez Potoznik said the 27-nation bloc should combine its targets for biodiversity with its new economic strategy for the next decade, also known as Europe 2020 strategy.

The commission recently presented the Europe 2020 strategy, calling for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth for the EU by 2020, which would be debated by EU leaders at a summit later this month.

The 2020 strategy should deal with "not only growth and jobs, but also what kind of growth and jobs," Potoznik said.