Biodiversity Conservation – a priority in European Policy

According to “Ecolur” Informational NGO, during the Conference on Biodiversity for the Eastern partnership Countries in Brussels, Karin Zaunberger, DG ENV, said that Biodiversity and habitat conservation are a priority in European policy and the protection of natural capital is for the economic sustainability, and added that countries should undertake political commitments in this direction.

Europe intends to implement the following strategy by 2050: European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides – its natural capital – are protected, valued and appropriately restored…. A third of species are still threatened or declining (e.g. seabirds, falcons, ducks). 23% of the protected species are in a favorable conservation status. But over half are still unfavorable. Many species living in freshwater, (e.g. migratory fish and amphibians) continue to deteriorate. The European Union adopted several directives – Habitats Directive and Birds Directive. It’s noteworthy that the Birds Directive almost doesn’t contain any measures banning human activities having negative impact on birds. The focus is on agreements and arrangements. ‘Biological pollution’ of endemic populations with non-native species also causes concerns. There are several regulations connected with evaluations of banning import or growing invasive species. Monitoring of areas is regularly carried out, and in case alien species can’t be eliminated, the area must be restricted with further noticing. This is the European policy. Nevertheless, during such a wide-scale event as the Green Week, which was also held in Brussels, the owners of one of the pavilions expressed a contradictory viewpoint. They are worried that the ban on importing other species will result in non-survival of mono-cultures, if external conditions change. At the conference the representatives of six countries of the European Partnership: Gagik Manucharyan, Head of Environmental Management Department presented the situation in Armenia. It should be mentioned that all six countries of the Eastern Partnership experience the same problems, but approaches to their solutions differ. Though EU representatives assured that biodiversity conservation is important everywhere, nevertheless, the countries having signed the Association Agreement with the EU, are already getting ready to the formation of a new policy resembling the European one and arrange on the cooperation on the new basis. 

www.ecostimule.com

 

Leave us a comment

logged inYou must be to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Verified by MonsterInsights