Brussels, 21/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 19 January, the European Commission published a communication outlining the possible scenarios for the future policy on biodiversity. This publication signals the kick-off of the European Year of Biodiversity. The objective of reducing the loss of biodiversity by 2020, as set out by the European Union, will not be achieved. New perspectives therefore need to be outlined. In its communication, the Commission puts forward four options corresponding to 4 objectives with expanded ambitions that should be achieved by 2020. This communication aims to facilitate the debate between member states in an effort to establish by the end of 2010, a strategic EU structure for biodiversity.
The options outlined for this intermediate policy deadline (2020) within a long-term perspective (2050) are: Option 1 - significantly slowing down the pace of biodiversity loss and eco-systemic services in the EU by 2020. Option 2 - reducing the loss of biodiversity and eco-systemic services in the EU by 2020. Option 3 - stemming the loss of biodiversity and eco-systemic services in the EU by 2020 and ensuring that they are re-established as much as possible. Option 4 - stemming the loss of biodiversity and eco-systemic services in the EU by 2020 ensuring that they are re-established as soon as possible, and strengthening the EU's contribution to preventing the loss of biodiversity. The regional director of the European division of Birdlife International, Angelo Caserta, has already commented on these options and prefers the fourth one. He calls on member states to “adopt the most ambitious 2020 objective proposed, which have clearly been presented by the Commission in option 4”.
Similarly to climate change, the loss of biodiversity constitutes the most serious environmental threat at a global level, and leads to substantial economic losses and a negative impact on well-being. First of all, it is necessary to explain what is meant by biodiversity. It consists of a variety of ecosystems, species and genes making up the resources on our planet. Biodiversity is an integral part of sustainable development insofar as it provides essential goods and services, such as food, carbon capture and the regulation of inland waterways and marine waters, and underpins economic prosperity, the well-being of our societies and the quality of life.
In this connection, the EU decided at the Gothenberg European summit in 2001 to stem biodiversity reduction in the EU by 2010. An EU action plan to protect biological biodiversity was adopted by the Commission in 2006 in an effort to speed up the process. It now appears evident that the objectives will not be attained. During the Environmental Council in March 2009, a decision was made to provide the EU with a new perspective and new objectives on biodiversity. These new priorities should take into account the international debates relating to the global vision of biodiversity after 2010 and help towards creating this vision. This is all due to be carried out within the framework of a strategy plan for adoption at the end of this year, with the intention of implementing the United Nations Convention on biological biodiversity. The communication published on Tuesday 19 January marks the first step towards this objective.
In this connection, Stavros Dimas, the commissioner for the environment, declared: “We will redouble our efforts to implement a new policy and a new strategy for after 2010… We cannot allow ourselves to ignore the fight against biodiversity loss and it is essential that our policy for the coming period is resolutely ambitious”.
The intermediate objectives will enable the EU to define a strong and common position for the forthcoming international negotiations on the subject planned next autumn in Nagoya, Japan. Before these negotiations take place, discussions are planned between member states, the European institutions and other stakeholders. These discussions will be launched during the high-level European conference on the theme of “post-2010”: Vision and objectives on biodiversity” organised by Spain in Madrid on 26 and 27 January 2010.
Biodiversity is expected to remain a key EU subject because global diversity is seriously under threat. The pace of different species being made extinct is between 100 and 1,000 times greater than what ought to be the normal rate. It is also estimated that 60% of eco-systemic services have suffered degradation over the last 50 years. It is not surprising that human activities are the source of this situation, particularly those connected to soil changes, the overexploitation of resources, unsustainable practices, pollution and the introduction of invasive species leading to the destruction, degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats and the disappearance of the species living in these habitats. (V.L.B./transl.Fl)