The European Biodiversity Action Plan – Counting down to 2010: State of Play and the post 2010 vision for Europe
The European Commission has just released the mid-term report on the BAP. The report provides the first comprehensive tool to asses how the EU is performing in reaching the 2010 target. Countdown 2010 will organize a high-level roundtable on 11
February to discuss the results of the report. This analysis will no doubt also provide the basis for informing the post 2010 biodiversity regime.
Backed by an unprecedented level of stakeholder consensus, the EU endorsed, in June 2006, an EC Communication: Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – and beyond, which includes an ambitious Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). The Biodiversity Action Plan identifies four main policy areas and sets out 10 key objectives for halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. These are, in turn, translated into over 150 individual priority actions and supporting measures which are to be implemented against specific time-bound targets at both EU Member State and EC level. The Action Plan represents an important new approach for EU biodiversity policy as it addresses all the relevant economic sectors and policy areas in a single strategy document and apportions a share of the responsibility in its implementation. It recognizes that change will only happen if there is a concerted effort from all sectors of society and Member States to help deliver the overall target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.
The European Parliament will comment on this progress report in early 2009 and this conference is targeted to inform this debate. It will address questions such as: To which degree will we achieve the 2010 biodiversity target? Where did we progress, where do we lack results? Will our common natural heritage be saved by 2010? Is there a need for a new target and if yes what should this target look like?
Another key event on the Mid-term Assessment of the European BAP will take place in Brussels on Tuesday 17 February. “The Centre” will launch a new report by the European Academies Science Advisory Council entitled Ecosystem Services and
Biodiversity in Europe.
