EU sets out biodiversity action plan 

EU environment chief Stavros Dimas has unveiled a package of measures to combat biodiversity loss.

The package, announced to coincide with international biodiversity day on Monday, includes an EU action plan that lays down concrete measures and responsibilities for Europe’s sometimes recalcitrant member states

The EU is fast approaching a 2010 target of halting biodiversity loss, but progress has been slow and the commission wants member states to up the pace of action to stem the losses.

Europe has lost more than half its wetlands in the last 50 years, and around half of its birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles and freshwater fish are threatened with extinction.

Most major EU fish stocks are also below safe biological limits, according to the commission.

“The extinction of plants and animals is an irreversible loss to humanity. We need to be investing in sustaining the variety of life, in sustaining the health of ecosystems that in turn underpin our prosperity and well being,” said Dimas.

“We know what needs to be done,” he added.

The new communication on halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and beyond will help “pull all the actors and resources together so that we meet our commitments”, said Dimas.

The Greek commissioner identified four key policy areas, with 10 priority objectives, including addressing Europe’s most important habitats and species, action in the wider countryside and the marine environment, reducing the impact of alien invasive species and reducing the negative impact on biodiversity from international trade.

The communication calls for better planning at national, regional and local level to curb the negative impact of new industrial and infrastructure developments by building partnerships between planners, developers and biodiversity groups.

Dimas also wants to take a fresh look at other EU legal instruments that could offer benefits in halting biodiversity loss, such as the environmental liability directive and the water framework directive and strengthen EU decision making.

“A new approach needs to be adopted if we are to met the 2010 targets,” said the commission in a briefing document.

And Dimas warned that he will take tough action on member states that fail to effectively tackle biodiversity loss.

A number of member states have been accused of flouting the two key EU policies regarding biodiversity, the habitats directive and the birds directives. 

“Lately we have been very tough regarding the implementation of these directives,” said Dimas

“This is the reason why I have insisted that implementation is very important and this is what we should do if we are going to achieve our commitments for 2010.”

“If member states do not respect the directives, we have the means to persuade them.  And we shall exercise these means.”

Dimas said that biodiversity and climate change were the world’s two greatest threats.

“The loss of biodiversity is a greater threat if we consider that once a species is extinct, there are no mitigation measures that will be able to bring it back.”

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