Meeting in an informal Council in Berlin, the European Environment Ministers of the Member States of the European Union discussed the lessons learned at this stage from the Covid-19 epidemic and ways of preventing future pandemics through ambitious nature conservation policies (see EUROPE 12571/11).
They also exchanged views on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, agreeing with German Minister Svenja Schulze, who chaired the exchange, that the EU must set a global example in the run-up to COP15 in Kunming, China, in May 2021.
“We examined how to mitigate the risk of future pandemics through a policy of protecting valuable natural areas”, Svenja Schulze told the press on Thursday 1 October, stressing that many human interventions, such as the destruction of rainforests, for example, are vectors for the emergence of infectious diseases (see EUROPE 12561/23).
This ministerial meeting coincided with the UN Biodiversity Summit, which was organised to accelerate action and raise global ambition to protect and restore biodiversity for sustainable development by 2030.
Mrs Schulze welcomed the fact that 150 Heads of State, Government and Ministers sent “a clear message to halt the loss of global biodiversity”.
During this summit, 74 parties endorsed the leaders’ commitment to nature, including the EU and its 27 Member States (see EUROPE 12569/11).
“One thing is clear: we cannot accept another decade of the destruction of nature. This was clearly stated by the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, yesterday”, stressed the President of the Environment Council.
The purpose of the informal ministerial exchange was to prepare the EU Council’s decisions.
Conclusions are expected to be adopted on biodiversity and the need for urgent action at the Environment Council on 23 October.
EU Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius welcomed the German Presidency’s focus on “one of the greatest challenges” of our time and the determination to act both within Europe and beyond the borders of the European Union.
He applauded the consensus that has emerged to turn the tide, emphasising the vitality of nature and the value of the ecological services it provides “for food, economy, health and the ability to mitigate climate change”.
“If we step up our action, we can make a difference”, he said. According to him, this is what the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 aims to achieve by protecting at least 30% of land and marine areas (see EUROPE 12491/2). A more ambitious target than the UN target for COP15.
Asked by EUROPE about the contradiction between the EU’s strong commitment to protecting biodiversity and the ongoing attempt by a majority of Member States to lower the level of protection for bees (see separate news item), Commissioner Sinkevičius refused to acknowledge this as hypocritical.
Stressing that both the Farm to Fork and biodiversity strategies “address the issue”, he said that “the Commission will act to ensure the protection of pollinators. The issue will be addressed in the Sustainable Chemicals Strategy and the Zero Pollution Action Plan”. He added: “I haven’t heard any doubts from the Member States about the need to close a legislation gap. The Commission will do its job”. Svenja Schulze, for her part, said that she supported what the Commissioner had said.
On the previous day at the UN summit, speaking on behalf of the EU, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “We need to act now and bring nature back into our lives. This is the moment for world leaders to work on new and ambitious global biodiversity targets. The EU is ready to lead the way with its Green Deal”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)