European Commission announced new strategy to halt biodiversity loss
Today the European Commission has published a new plan on how to improve Europe’s biodiversity over the next decade. The strategy includes six targets which address the main drivers of biodiversity loss. The plan is focused on sustainable agriculture and forestry, safeguarding and protecting fish stocks, controlling invasive species, and protecting and restoring ecosystems, notably by the increased use of green infrastructure. The strategy is in line with the commitments made last year by the EU in Nagoya, Japan.
European Commission says that biodiversity in Europe is in crisis, with species extinctions running at unparalleled rates. Many ecosystems are degraded to the point where they are no longer able to deliver the wide variety of services we depend on – from clean air and water to pollination of crops and protection from floods. This degradation represents enormous social and economics losses for the EU. For example, insect pollination, which is heavily declining in Europe, has an estimated economic value of €15 billion per year in the EU, adds the European Commission.
The European Wildlife conservation organization welcomes the new EU plan. “Strategy confirmed that the European Union is the world leader in biodiversity conservation. We particularly welcome its efforts concerning the restoration of the ecosystems and green infrastructure and the control of invasive species,” says Dalibor Dostal, the director of the European Wildlife conservation organization.
About 25% of European animal species, including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and butterflies are at risk of extinction in the EU. Moreover, 88% of fish stocks are over-exploited or significantly depleted.
