Council adopts conclusions on EU Biodiversity Strategy

The Council conclusions on the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 were adopted earlier this month in the Environment Council. The Council endorsed the Strategy and discussed issues such as green infrastructures, protected areas, Natura 2000 and promoting the use of the innovative financial mechanisms in support of biodiversity policy objectives.

The conclusions emphasise the importance of green infrastructure as a contribution to further integrating biodiversity considerations into other EU policies, and welcome the European Commission’s commitment to develop a Green Infrastructure Strategy by 2012. The Council also welcomes the fact that the Strategy addresses shortcomings in the implementation of existing environmental EU legislation, inadequate funding and specific policy gaps relating to, among others, invasive alien species, green infrastructure and ecosystem services within and beyond protected areas.

Furthermore, the Council welcomes the focus on biodiversity as a whole and ecosystems services - within but also beyond protected areas – in recognition of the essential services they provide as well as their intrinsic and economic value, and welcomed the emphasis on maintenance, including management, and cost-effective restoration of ecosystems. It also calls upon the Commission to incorporate effectively biodiversity measures and concerns in the latter’s proposals for the legislative framework of the future financial perspectives (2014-2020) and to take into account Member States’ contribution to the implementation of the Strategy, especially the Natura 2000 network.

Finally, the Council also stresses the need to mobilise additional resources from all possible sources and to ensure adequate funding. The importance of promoting the use of innovative financial mechanisms in support of biodiversity policy objectives is also highlighted.