The European Biodiversity Action Plan - State of Play and prospects after 2010

1. The European Biodiversity Action Plan - State of Play and prospects after 2010 Anne Teller, DG ENV.B2 EPF 18 March 2009

2. Structure of presentation • update on progress in implementation of the EU Biodiversity Action Plan and outcome of mid-term assessment • highlight some key priorities for action in immediate future involving different Commission Services and MS • propose an approach towards the development of a post 2010 EU vision and target(s) for biodiversity

3. Current EU Biodiversity Strategy • European Community and its Member States are contracting parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity • EU Heads of State and Government undertook in 2001 “to halt the decline of biodiversity in the EU by 2010” • In 2002, they agreed “to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss globally by 2010”. • In 2006 COM provided a detailed Action Plan as a strategic response to accelerate progress to meet the 2010 targets

4. Implementation of EU Biodiversity Action Plan • Addresses relevant policy sectorsand horizontal policy areas in a comprehensive and unified way • Objectives & targets cannot be effectively delivered without Community & national level co-operation and commitment • Commission commitment to annually assessment of delivery • Second 'mid-term' report evaluates implementation at both Community and Member State levels (to end 2008)

5. Conclusions of BAP Mid-Term Assessment • despite some progress, highly unlikely - on the basis of current efforts - that the overall goal of halting biodiversity loss in the EU by 2010 will be achieved • Significant additional commitment by the EC and Member States requiredover the next two years, if the EU is even to come close to its objective • At the global level, biodiversity loss is disastrous and even a significant reduction in the global rate of loss of biodiversity will not have been achieved by 2010

6. Key priorities for action Biodiversity in the EU • Press for completion of Natura 2000 network, promote its effective management & ensure funding needs are met • Provide 1st comprehensive status assessment of species and habitats of European conservation concern • Press for improved measurement of effectiveness of integration • Put in place an effective strategy to tackle invasive species • Launch action to support biodiversity and ecosystem services in European overseas entities

7. Key priorities for action EU & global biodiversity • Take full advantage of 2010 as the UN International Year on Biodiversity • Ensure that environmental assessments (SEA/EIA) are systematically carried out in relation to environmentally sensitive aid operations • further strengthen the integration and mainstreaming of biodiversity into EU external assistance • enhance our understanding of the impact of EU consumption of food and non-food commodities (e.g. meat, soy beans, palm oil, metal ores) on biodiversity

8. Key priorities for action Biodiversity & Climate Change • Strengthening the link between the climate changeand biodiversity agendas • White Paper/Communication on adapting to climate change = key opportunity to recognise critical importance of healthy ecosystems • Follow up to the Commission Communication on deforestation • important that architecture and implementation of a Global Forest Carbon Mechanism takes into account biodiversity and social co-benefits & that biodiversity criteria and concerns are reflected in the UNFCCC negotiations and discussions on REDD

9. Key priorities for action Supporting measures • Improving our understanding of the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity • study on "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity" (TEEB) to have major implications for the future development of EU biodiversity policy and links to poverty eradication • Strengthening the science policy interface • EU support to establish an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES), to strengthen independent scientific advice to global policy making

10. Key priorities for action Supporting measures • Better engagement of the business community • A new Business and Biodiversity (B@B) initiative will be launched by DG ENV in 2009 • Better informing and engaging the public in biodiversity conservation • a communication campaign on biodiversity to take place in 2009 and 2010 with budget of €3 million

11. Setting a post 2010 EU vision and target(s) Draft conclusions for the Spring 2009 European Council “INVITES the Commission to provide an analysis of the status and trends of biodiversity within the EU before the end of 2009 and UNDERLINES the need to establish, by mid-2010 at the latest, a vision and targets beyond 2010 for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity within the EU, building on and contributing to deliberations at global level on a vision for biodiversity beyond 2010”;

12. What might new EU target(s) be? • New target should aim to be specific, measurable, ambitious, realistic, time-bound and developed on the basis of robust scientific evidence - a major challenge for an issue as complex as biodiversity • Ensuring healthy ecosystems and ecosystem services through an 'ecosystem approach' needs to be an essential element of the new post 2010 vision and target • Need to develop an accessible political message such as 'maintaining the value of nature's benefits‘ • Need close co-operation between Community and MS to ensure alignment of EU and Global discussions

13. Elements to inform new EU Strategy • Analysis of the current states, trends and pressures on EU biodiversity • Analysis of those elements of current biodiversity policy that work and why • Examination of why integration fails & how we can attain this crucial goal (and how this might be captured in a governance framework) • Looking at the EU global footprint and the sustainability of our consumption patterns • Strengthening the linkages between biodiversity and climate change • Determining how ecosystem goods & services can be factored into decision making processes (and how this might be captured in a legal framework) • Developing ways to better involve and engage people with nature

14. Timeline towards the new EU Biodiversity policy

15. Questions to consider • What priorities for and how to effectively contribute to new EU vision and targets for biodiversity post 2010? • How to ensure an alignment between global and EU debate on new biodiversity policy for 2011 onwards? • What governance structure/process is best to ensure effective policy integration?

16. Thank you for your attention! • http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/comm2006/bap_2008.htm "The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission."