PAN-EUROPEAN PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE 2010 BIODIVERSITY TARGET

> 10 October 07

The Environment for Europe (EfE) process is a unique political framework of cooperation between the member States within the UNECE region. It covers the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) that includes 56 countries. The process was initiated in 1991 with the first meeting taking place at Dobris Castle, near Prague.

Biodiversity has always been an important element on the EfE agenda. A large number of agreements, strategies and policies on nature conservation have been developed during the EfE process. Among them is the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS), which was endorsed at the Sofia Conference in 1995.

Responding to the decline of biodiversity, the Environment Ministers of the European Union defined an unambiguous target in Gothenburg in 2001: to halt loss of biodiversity by 2010. The Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference in Kyiv (2003) endorsed the 2010 target and thus expanded the EU commitment into a pan-European target. Participating countries defined seven areas where action needed to be taken in order to halt biodiversity loss in the pan-European region.

The Countdown Secretariat, established in 2004, promotes and supports actions that help achieve the 2010 biodiversity target and assesses the steps taken towards halting biodiversity loss. In a joint effort with UNEP and the European Environment Agency, the Countdown Secretariat recently prepared the first 2010 Readiness Assessment. The assessment reviews actions taken to achieve the seven Kyiv targets and further considers newly emerging issues. Finally, it also provides recommendations based on the findings.

Key Messages

• The Kyiv Resolution on Biodiversity reinforced the objective to halt the loss of biodiversity at all levels by 2010. The Resolution identified seven key areas for concerted action and made specific joint commitments to meet targets in those areas. The respective areas for action were: forests and biodiversity, agriculture and biodiversity, the Pan-European Ecological Network, invasive alien species, financing biodiversity, biodiversity monitoring and indicators, and public participation and awareness.
• Generally, good progress has been made in adopting national and international strategies and action plans (including the European Commission’s 2010 Communication), such as in the areas of invasive alien species and public participation and awareness. Indeed, with continuing effort the 2008 Kyiv targets for invasive alien species and public participation and awareness can probably be achieved.
• Important progress has been made in the fields of conserving forest biodiversity and the designation of sites for the Pan-European Ecological Network, including Natura 2000 sites. Intensified work on developing biodiversity monitoring and indicators is starting to achieve important results, and this is also the case for financing biodiversity conservation (although there is considerable doubt over the robustness of future funding). However, given the progress that still needs to be made on implementation measures, it seems unlikely that the Kyiv targets can be met. Intensified efforts in these areas are therefore necessary.
• However, implementation of some of the Kyiv targets is lacking seriously behind in certain critical areas. In many countries, forest biodiversity remains threatened by fragmentation and illegal logging. Lack of biodiversity-friendly agricultural management and little action on the ground to combat invasive alien species remain major barriers for achieving the 2010 target. In particular, countries outside of the EU frequently suffer from lack of capacity and funding for implementing targets and strategies.
• It is also clear that new challenges for biodiversity conservation are emerging that cut across the seven Kyiv target areas:
  • Climate change is already impacting habitats and species and poses a serious threat to ecosystem health in the medium-to-long term: beyond 2050 climate change is likely to be the major driver for biodiversity loss globally. Adaptation measures such as fully implementing existing biodiversity conservation measures and strengthening the coherence and connectivity of ecosystems are urgently required.
  • Biodiversity conservation in the marine environment lags seriously behind the terrestrial realm. Fish stocks continue to decline and fishing practices that destroy other marine biodiversity have not been sufficiently improved. The coverage of marine protected areas remains very low, while infrastructure development continues to destroy important coastal habitats.
  • Territorial development (linear infrastructure, urban sprawl etc.) is accelerating, particularly in the less developed countries in Europe. This is causing habitat fragmentation and is increasing pressure on a wide range of natural resources.
  • The integration of biodiversity concerns into other sectors such as forestry, fisheries, agriculture, regional development, transport and energy remains limited and is a serious barrier to ensuring that actions in those fields are environmentally sustainable.

About this page

This document is part of the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment 2007. Download the entire study in English or Russian or read the chapters online.

Pan-European Progress Towards Achieving the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Introduction
Forests and Biodiversity
Agriculture and Biodiversity
The Pan-European Ecological Network
Invasive Alien Species
Financing Biodiversity
Biodiversity Monitoring and Indicators
Public Participation and Awareness
Additional Challenges

Annex 1: Status and trends of 2010 indicators
Annex 2: C2010 Readiness Assessment Questionnaire
Annex 3: Online Survey on the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Annex 4: Recommendations for high nature value farmland
Annex 5: SEBI2010 Indicators