To boost ambition and global action ahead of the COP15 on biodiversity (11-15 October and 25 April-8 May 2022), President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday 22 September, called on the international community to build on the commitment to nature that she and 64 world leaders made at the UN a year ago (see EUROPE 12564/14).
In a video message broadcast on Wednesday for the 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA-76), she highlighted the EU’s progress, citing doubling the funding for global biodiversity in the EU’s 2021-2027 budget to support an ambitious post-2020 framework for global diversity (see EUROPE 12791/2) and the EU’s determination to give substance to the European Green Deal by delivering on its ambitions.
“We want to protect at least 30% of Europe’s land and sea areas and next month we will propose legally binding targets for nature”, said Mrs von der Leyen.
These binding nature restoration targets under the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, originally scheduled for December, are now expected to be presented by the European Commission on 10 November, according to the institution’s tentative agenda published on 22 September.
Subject to any changes in the programme, they will be accompanied by the following initiatives - a new EU strategy to combat land degradation and preserve land resources (see EUROPE 12708/9); - a legal framework imposing a binding due diligence obligation to minimise the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the EU market (see EUROPE 12793/6); - a legislative proposal to improve environmental protection through criminal law (amendment of Directive 2008/99/EC).
See the European Commission’s new tentative agenda: https://bit.ly/3ECkVlc (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)