The European Commission has presented its strategic action plan for halting the loss of biodiversity, which is threatening the future of humanity, by 2010.
Biodiversity extends beyond the mere movement of goods and services associated with ecosystems1, since it comprises a strategic resource that is vital to various economic sectors such as agriculture, energy and tourism.
Throughout most regions in the world, however, and in particular within the European Union, there has been a loss of biodiversity, which may become irreversible. Despite the existence of Natura 2000, a community policy action framework, halieutic stocks have plummeted, soils have been damaged and wildlife has disappeared.
It was therefore with a view to avoiding the harmful and irreversible effects associated with damage inflicted on ecosystems that the European Commission presented its new strategic action plan, which is structured around three areas:
- establishing concrete measures (monitoring indicator, evaluation calendar and communication operations);
- defining the respective abilities of the EU and of its member states;
- creating a consultative mechanism for assisting decision makers to make better use of available knowledge.
This new policy should make the preservation of biodiversity a priority issue in its international development programmes since, as has been emphasised by Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for the Environment, "Putting an end to the loss of biodiversity constitutes an absolute priority for the EU and a vital objective for humanity! ".
Source : Europolitique
1 Foodstuffs, fuels, fibres, air quality, water flow and quality, soil fertility and nutritional elements cycle |