Further integrating biodiversity in all relevant sectoral policies and in international agendas: that was the goal of the high-level segment (Cancun, 2-4 December) of the 13th conference of the parties to the United Nations framework convention on biodiversity (COP 13, 4-17 December) at which the EU was a participant (see EUROPE 11648).
The proposal for a decision tabled calls for biodiversity to be built into the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the Paris climate agreement. It underlines the importance of placing a value on natural capital and measuring this value, the need to reform subsidies which harm biodiversity and the importance of the involvement of industry.
The EU delegation, led by Daniel Calleja, Director General at DG Environment of the European Commission, will restate the EU’s commitment to achieving the global goals for the preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and to mainstreaming it, as the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 requires.
In forestry, it is working through the FLEGT initiatives; in the fisheries sector, the reform of the CFP seeks to achieve maximum sustainable yield for all commercial stocks by 2020 and initiatives have been taken to tackle illegal and unregulated fishing. In agriculture, the EU is working to make food production more resilient to climate change; in tourism, it highlights its Natura 2000 network. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)