Data underpinning the EuropaBON roadmap for a unified, transnational biodiversity observation system in Europe

This repository provides the datasets underpinning the EuropaBON roadmap for a transnational biodiversity observation system in Europe. The data summarize 84 Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), EBV-policy links, EU monitoring coverage of selected terrestrial, freshwater and marine examples, primary and supplementary monitoring techniques for EBVs and their relative importance, examples of monitoring sample sizes in Europe, and priorities for EBV workflow development.  The files include: - EBV metadata and characteristics: Overview and summary characteristics of 84 Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), their entity types, spatiotemporal resolutions, and associated taxonomic and ecosystem groups. - EBV-policy links: The direct or indirect, partial or complete links between a specific EBV and a specific EU policy. - Monitoring coverage and effort: Sample size examples from EU-wide monitoring schemes, counts of freshwater monitoring sites under the Water Framework Directive, and shapefiles describing transect density, river and lake monitoring coverage, and number of marine monitoring programmes across Europe. - Monitoring methods and priorities: Survey-based assessments of the relative importance of monitoring approaches (DNA-based, in-situ, citizen science, remote sensing, digital sensors), identification of primary and supplementary methods per EBV, and expert-elicited priorities for workflow development across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine domains. Together, these datasets provide a unique evidence base for: - Designing an optimised spatial and methodological framework for biodiversity monitoring in Europe; - Assessing current monitoring strengths, gaps, and redundancies across taxa, ecosystems, and regions; - Supporting workflow development for EBV integration, modelling, and policy uptake; - Informing the establishment of the proposed European Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC). By making these datasets openly available, this repository provides transparacy for the design and implementation of a coordinated, policy-relevant, and technology-enabled biodiversity monitoring network in Europe. It serves as a direct companion to an associated scientific paper and as a reusable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working to strengthen biodiversity monitoring and conservation action in Europe and beyond.