The European biodiversity strategy has been accepted by the EU Member States in 2011. In consists of six main goals that should ensure the suspension of flora and fauna species’ loss that are vital for human health and for the sustainable development of our continent and the whole planet. Four years later, none of the goals has been reached. No improvement in the area of agriculture and forestry has been registered at all. The political actions in these areas are too mediocre. It has been not long ago when WWF and other NGOs in UK put on trial British institutions due to their failure to work with the agriculture sector against the expanding pollution that fosters the nature restoration.
In the meantime, due to the European network on protected areas Natura 2000, the conditions at many habitats in Europe have improved. The benefits for the nature, the people and the economy evolving from that have increased. This shows that the existing legislation operates effectively and it has only to be implemented strictly.
Geneviève Pons-Deladrière, director of the European policy office of WWF states: “We were happy with the statement of the vice-president of the Commission Timmermans from New York few days ago. He took the engagement to transfer the sustainable development goals in strong political activities. The current intermediate review of the Biodiversity Strategy of the EU is a good opportunity to concentrate our forces in order to conserve the biodiversity in Europe and around the world”.
Martina Milinaric, senior policy officer in biodiversity and water at the European policy office of WWF complements: “The Commission has to use its power in order to force the Member States to implement effectively the Birds and Habitat Directives and to elaborate consecutive policies in the area of energy and transport infrastructure, as well as of agriculture. Serious attention has to be paid on the intensive agriculture that is one of the major reasons for biodiversity loss; the production of foods is dependent on the nature and should contribute to its conservation, but not its loss”.
“Keep Nature Alive” is the motto of the campaign for the salvation of the European directives on birds and habitats, based on which Natura 2000 exists. Currently the Commission explores the need for re-examination of the directives. The campaign is organized by a coalition of NGOs from all over Europe (e.g. BirdLife, European Environmental Bureau, Friends of the Earth Europe). Thanks to the campaign more than 500 000 people responded to our invitation to participate in the open stakeholder consultation of the EU and demanded the EU to protect the legislation that guarantees the existence of Natura 2000. This is the highest number of people that have ever participated in a research project of the EU.
Europe’s nature withers due to political lethargy
