Brussels, 26/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - In Malahide (Ireland), where a conference on biodiversity, organised by Martin Cullen, Irish Minister for the Environment and Council President, is being held until Thursday, it is time to take stock of the few efforts undertaken by the EU to implement its strategy to fight the decline in biological diversity. This strategy, which was adopted in 1998, is divided into four action plans adopted in 2001 (conservation of natural resources, agriculture, fisheries, economic co-operation and development co-operation).
All interested parties, who were invited by the Irish Presidency with the financial support of the European Commission, are working together to draw up a plan (2010 delivery plan) identifying what needs to be done to reverse the decline in biodiversity by 2010, in line with the objective adopted by the EU at the Gothenburg European Council, and the resources for the EU to contribute to the achievement of the overall objective subscribed to by the international community at the World Sustainable Development Summit (Johannesburg, 2002)- that of significantly reducing the rate of decline in biodiversity by 2010.
Addressing the participants, Margot Wallström, Commissioner for the Environment, welcomed this conference, which marks the revision exercise of the strategy started one year ago by the Commission. In particular, she highlighted the gravity of the situation and pointed out the urgency to redouble efforts, given that the decline in biodiversity, far from correcting itself, has in recent years seen an unprecedented acceleration, in Europe and the world.
"In Madrid, where the pan-European conference of the parties to the United Nations Convention on Biodversity was held (see EUROPE of 17 January, p.14), I rang the alarm bell, calling for a renewal and reinforcement of our commitment. This is without question a critical time; critical because we are at the dawn of a new enlarged Europe. The new Member States have brought a wealth of biodiversity with them, and new responsibilities too, because we must guarantee that their accession does not take place to the detriment of this wealth. A critical time too because in a few months, we will have both a new Parliament and a new Commission. Their mandate will cover the remaining five years left to achieve the Gothenburg objective. Malahide is perhaps our 'make or break' moment; I urge you to seize it. This is a golden opportunity to assess our progress and agree on the objectives and priorities for the five years to 2010.
This conference should lead to recommendations on which the new Commission and Parliament must take action. I know already that the Irish Presidency is committed to presenting them to the Environment Council of 28 and 29 June. I call upon the upcoming Presidencies- Dutch, Luxembourg and British- to continue the good work of the Irish Presidency", said Commissioner Wallström.
According to Margot Wallström, the Union must redouble its efforts to: -guarantee that the EU's regional policy has no negative impact on biodiversity, indeed promotes it; -do more to prevent and minimise the growing fragmentation of European habitats by galloping urbanisation, infrastructure and "almost desert-like stretches of arable and forest monocultures"; -implement the provisions of the common agricultural and fisheries policies in favour of biodiversity; -add to the Natura 2000 network of protected natural habitats, and provide the financial and technical support necessary to maintain sites and species in a satisfactory state of conservation; -integrate biodiversity into the EU's economic co-operation and development policies, and take greater account of how trade affects overall biodiversity; -guarantee that measures to adapt to climate change do not lead to an impoverishment of biodiversity; -adopt and use solid indicators to measure progress made, or to flag up failures; -make substantial investments in research, to plug the knowledge gap on biodiversity and its decline; -redouble public awareness efforts and raise political willingness to act accordingly.
On this point, the Commission welcomed the fact that this conference had seen the launch of the "Countdown 2010" initiative, to give the necessary impetus to get everybody involved in the biodiversity cause in the five coming years, and beyond. This initiative, which is supported by many environmental organisations, aims to raise public awareness, bring political pressure to bear and bring all parties together to achieve the objectives.