As of today, the Commission presented a new strategy to protect Europe's biodiversity and improve their position in the next decade. That strategy has six objectives that address the key factors of biodiversity loss and reduce pressures leading to support the nature and ecosystem services in the EU, by integrating biodiversity objectives into key sectoral policies. Also covers the loss of biodiversity worldwide, ensuring the EU contribution to combating the loss worldwide. The strategy is in line with the commitments made by the EU in Nagoya (Japan) last year.
Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment, said: "We are part of biodiversity, but it also depends on our food, clean water and clean air and a stable climate. We are spending too quickly our natural capital, and we all know what happens when we go into debt more than they can afford. Citizens of the EU recognize the gravity of the situation and the failure happened until now to approach the problem. Now is the time to increase our efforts very significantly. I have confidence that this new multi-sectoral approach will put us in the right way to stop biodiversity loss by 2020. "
Improve protection in a low pressure
In Europe, biodiversity is in crisis, species become extinct at an unprecedented rate. Many ecosystems are so degraded that they can not offer the full range of services we are required: from air and clean water to crop pollination and flood protection. This degradation leads to tremendous social and economic losses for the EU. Pollinating insects, for example, in severe decline in Europe, has an estimated economic value of EUR 15 000 million annually in the EU. The situation is no less concern worldwide.
The strategy adopted today sets out six priority objectives and relevant actions to significantly reduce threats to biodiversity. Such measures include the following:
- To give full effect to the current legislation on nature protection and natural reserve networks, in order to guarantee significant improvements in the conservation status of habitats and species.
- Improve and restore ecosystems and ecosystem services wherever possible, notably by increasing the use of green infrastructure.
- Ensure the sustainability of agriculture and forestry.
- Preserve and protect fish stocks in the EU.
- Controlling invasive species, which are increasingly the source of the loss of biodiversity in the EU.
- Increase the EU contribution to a concerted global action to prevent loss of biodiversity. Fulfil commitments
The strategy is consistent with two important commitments made by EU leaders in March 2010, namely, to halt the loss of biodiversity in the EU of 2020, and to protect, assess and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services of the EU 2050. It also falls in global commitments made in Nagoya in October 2010, in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity, an occasion in which world leaders adopted a package of measures to combat the loss of biodiversity around the world the next decade.
As part of the Europe 2020 strategy, the biodiversity strategy will contribute to achieving the objectives set by the EU for efficient use of resources, ensure that Europe's natural capital is managed in a sustainable manner and to the objectives of climate change mitigation and adaptation, to improve the resilience of ecosystems and the services they provide. Context
Planet attending the decline of their natural heritage and nature-based-from different species to ecosystems such as forests, coral reefs, freshwater and soil, at an alarming rate. Biodiversity loss costs each year billions to the world economy, weakening economies, prospects for future business and opportunities to combat poverty.
In the EU, biodiversity loss is mainly due to changes in land use, pollution, overexploitation of resources, the uncontrolled spread of alien species and climate change. All these factors exert a pressure that is constant or increasing. Only 17% of habitats and species analyzed are in a favorable condition, and most ecosystems can no longer provide the services we need - services such as crop pollination, air and water clean and flood control or erosion - with a degree of quality and quantity that are optimal. Current rates
global species extinction are to 1 000 times higher than natural rates, mainly due to human activity. In the EU, about 25% of animal species (mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and butterflies) are in danger of extinction, and 88% of fish stocks are overexploited or significantly depleted.
information: full communication
:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/policy/index_en.htm
Questions and answers about the new strategy: Campaign
MEMO/11/268 Commission Biodiversity:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/campaign/index_es.htm
Additional information about EU biodiversity policy in 2010:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/policy/index_en.htm
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