A new European study has found that common bird and butterfly species are declining across all major scenarios for biodiversity protection, even with existing conservation policies in place. The research, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, examined data from more than 20,000 locations across 26 European countries. It focused on 265 common bird species and 144 common butterfly species, which are important indicators of ecosystem health. These species are being affected by factors such as intensive farming, climate change, the conversion of natural landscapes into artificial ones, and the loss of habitat diversity. The study evaluated three different conservation scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). These scenarios—called "Nature for Nature," "Nature for Society," and "Nature as Culture"—reflect different approaches and priorities for conservation. However, none of these scenarios were enough to stop or reverse the decline of common bird and butterfly populations by 2050. Even when major European conservation policies, such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Forest Strategy 2030, and the "From Farm to Fork" strategy, were included, the decline continued. The decline is most noticeable in agricultural and grassland areas, where butterflies are especially affected by both intensive farming and climate change. While some bird species that live in forests have shown some resilience due to the expansion of forested areas, they may still face problems if forest management becomes more intensive. The study also points out that the benefits of conservation efforts are not evenly spread across Europe. Western and Northern Europe are expected to see the most improvement, while Southern and Eastern regions are likely to face growing pressures from agriculture. The research highlights a major problem: current conservation policies do not adequately protect typical ecosystems and struggle to balance the needs of society, especially in agriculture and forestry. The study suggests that more ambitious and transformative changes in how society and the economy operate are needed to secure the future of common biodiversity in Europe.