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COMMISSION NOTICE Guidelines providing a common understanding of the term ‘environmental damage’ as defined in Article 2 of Directive 2004/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage · European Union

| 42. | With regard to material scope, the definition of ‘damage’ refers to two concepts which are themselves also expressly defined in the Directive, namely ‘natural resource’ and ‘natural resource service’. ‘Natural resource’ is defined to mean three separate resource categories: protected species and natural habitats; water; and land. At the same time, the definition of ‘natural resource service’ highlights the inter-dependencies of these different categories by referring to the functions they perform for each other. The following are some non-exhaustive examples: a salt marsh (a type of natural habitat) may protect coastal land; surface water (a category of water) may support protected species of wild bird; land may filter out pollutants which might otherwise reach groundwater (a category of water). The definition of ‘natural resource service’ also refers to natural resource functions which benefit people. By way of non-exhaustive examples, some natural habitats such as peatlands serve as important carbon stores; some waters are a source of drinking water and some provide fish for recreational fishing; and land is necessary for food production and habitation.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-25 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.