The European Portal biodiversity-chm.eea.europa.eu/

1. The European Portal http://biodiversity-chm.eea.europa.eu/ Rania Spyropoulou

2. EEA: The EC NFP for CHM @ the Convention of Biological Diversity • Communication with the CBD Secretariat • Participation in the Global Informal Advisory Committee on CHMs • Meeting and exchanging with other regions and countries outside Europe (ASEAN, China, Korea) BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY • Maintenance of EC CHM portal • Maintaining and upgrading the toolkit • Providing training and helpdesk to countries • Strengthening the concept of a Regional network for Europe

3. The EC portal : Earliest story published in August 2001http://biodiversity-chm.eea.europa.eu/

4. Objectives of the European CHM portal management – up to 2008 + • to provide active links, news, stories related to biodiversity policies at global level, European Community, pan-European (Regional) and national levels (EEA countries included) • to foster technical co-operation and synergies of national and international CHMs within the region, including collaboration with the CBD Secretariat • to specifically support the communication needs of the SEBI 2010 EEA lead process • to host the Commission ABS portal ++ +++ ?

5. Tool kit maintenance/ development objectives up to 2008 ++++ • Software to enable a good and administrator/user friendly function of the web page • to foster technical co-operation, capacity building and synergies of national and a few international CHMs within the region • to minimise management costs and risks for EEA and for collaborating CHMs, especially by using the same software and helpdesk and by collecting all interested CHMs on an EEA managed server + +++

6. The way forward for the EC CHM • maintaining and further develop a live and relevant up-to-date content: must be meaningful • BIODIVERSITY MOVES ACROSS BORDERS To embrace a view of the continent rather than country borders Common standards: Common glossary and definition of terms, habitat classifications and taxonomy Spatial reference units should be selected for reference: the standardised European grid and/or reporting units like Biogeographical regions, River basins SEVERAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES are trying to deal with these issues such as Lifewatch, EBone

7. The Clearinghouse could be accommodating information from multiple sources and • providing a unified information and knowledge service for the development of biodiversity policies, and a • partnership for its further development

8. CHM and Data Centers in the MDIAK chain BISE – CHM M D I A K Stocks Intellectual capital Data QC and acceptance Data maintenance and data integration Analysis and synthesis Assimilation in to user’s framework Processes Access

9. More precisely : the Ec CHM could • Enhance information structuring and sharing • Act as a facilitator for collecting and disseminating scientific information, data and case studies about biodiversity • build a consistent and updated knowledge base. • Assist an effective uptake of this knowledge by EU, national, regional, local or sectoral decision makers, by offering guidance, tools, best practices for assessments of biodiversity at different geographical levels and • Promote a greater level of coordination among the relevant sectoral policies, and among different institutional levels

11. The Biodiversity Information System for Europe – first concept Sept 09 EU Policy Data Entry to Data Centers Entry to BAP Entry to SEBI 2010 Indicators Projects Research Entry to EU funded projects Entry to Assessments

12. Thematic areas Agricultural Forest Freshwater Marine and coastal Mountain Protected areas Cross cutting themes Climate change impacts Invasive species Public awareness Adding themes where countries can volunteer information And news feeds

13. Look at demos! • Thank you for your attention!