The way of
Europe to the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy
was not easy; and the coming of all European countries to the understanding
that we live in a common house called Europe, is not easy either. This
Strategy is the common result of European countries' understanding and
the ways of improving the environment for stable social development on
the continent. Actually, the Strategy marked the beginning of the new
era in common European co-operation.
The Pan-European Strategy is
considered to be a major mechanism for implementation of the Convention
on Biological Diversity (1992) on the European continent. Moreover, the
Strategy unites all biological and landscape initiatives in a joint European
approach and promotes the integration of approaches of biological and
landscape diversity protection with social and economic ones. It considers
environment protection to be a complicated many-sided problem and is based
on a number of global priorities, and namely: a balanced use of land resources,
increase in forested areas, protection of open ecosystems, promotion of
ecologically safe agriculture and stable development of regions, protection
of all genetic, species and ecosystems diversity and all types of landscapes,
etc.
Nowadays, Ukraine, as well
as a number of other countries of central and eastern Europe, has a very
difficult period of its history. At the same time, the environment protection
sphere continues to develop, new laws are being worked out (the Verkhovna
Rada is presently discussing the draft laws on fauna, the fish industry
and the animal industry, and proposals to change the current laws), new
objects in the nature reserve fund are being created, projects and programmes
are being developed and implemented. Last year the Verkhovna Rada approved
"The guidelines of the state policy of Ukraine in the protection of environment,
use of natural resources, guaranteeing of ecological security".
Ukraine moves step by step
in the direction of implementation of the Pan-European Biological and
Landscape Diversity Strategy. The Strategy's basic positions were included
in the Conception of biological diversity protection of Ukraine (approved
by the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 1997), forming
the basis for the National programme of biological diversity protection
in Ukraine (agreed with all interested central bodies of executive power
and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and discussed in the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine).
The long-term national programme
to create an ecological network in Ukraine is being developed and will
become an integral part of the European eco-network.
In Ukraine some agricultural
land is no longer cultivated and land belonging to the Ministry of Defence
is being reduced. The Ministry of Ecological Security is trying to use
these changes for environmental protection. Certain areas, previously
used for military firing grounds and airfields, are being transformed
into nature reserves, for example, Yavorivsky national nature park, Opuksky
nature reserve, Chornomorsky biosphere reserve.
In spite of the economic recession,
the State finds resources each year to create some reserves or national
nature parks. This year the President of Ukraine has signed two Decrees
concerning the creation of national nature parks, Skolivsky Beskydy and
Desnyansko-Starogutsky. This year two nature reserves and four national
nature parks will also be created. The total area of territories and objects
of nature reserves fund of Ukraine now is 2.35 million ha, 3.9% of Ukraine's
territory (in 1991 it was 2 times less). It includes 4 biosphere reserves,
15 nature reserves, 9 national nature parks, 282 game reserves and 132
nature relics of national importance and a number of other objects of
national and local importance.
In 1995 the government of Ukraine
approved the list of 22 wetlands of international importance with an area
of 650 000 ha and this year it has already approved a special decree on
the introduction of a new category in the nature protection sphere: wetlands
of national importance. For its implementation we have to determine and
protect dozens, and possibly hundreds of valuable wetlands massifs, which
we still have and must protect.
In co-operation with neighbouring
states, Ukraine actively creates interstate environment protection territories.
Last year Unesco diplomas were awarded to the Ukrainian territories of
the trilateral biosphere reserve of the eastern Carpathians (Poland/Slovakia/Ukraine)
and the bilateral biosphere reserve of the Delta of the Danube (Romania/Ukraine).
Next in turn is the creation of the following international reserves :
with Poland - Western Polissya and Roztochansky, with Belarus - Pripyatsky,
with Russia - Starogutsko-bryansky Woods.
That is why Ukraine invites
European states to hold the next joint summit in Ukraine, which until
recently was a part of the former Soviet Union and had equal start for
the development of the pan-European ecological process with many of today's
full members of Europe and which has over the last years made significant
achievements in the environment protection sphere.
Prof.V. Shevchuk
Minister of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Security of Ukraine
GENERAL INFORMATION
Council of Europe: 50 years
of intergovernmental co-operation for Europe
On 4 May 1999 the Council of
Europe will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. Asserting itself as the
democratic conscience of Europe, its main task remains that of bringing
a vast democratic area into being and, with that as its goal, helping
its member states to live up to the commitments they accept on joining.
A programme of celebrations has been drawn up in all member states, but
particularly in Strasbourg, London and Budapest. The protection and conservation
of the natural environment are among the achievements and aims of the
Council of Europe which are given particular prominence in the events
marking this anniversary. The Council of Europe's campaign "Europe, a
Common Heritage" (see below under Action Theme 3) will also play its part
in putting across the European message of this anniversary.
(Contact Press and Public Relations Service, Council of Europe, F-67075
Strasbourg Cedex; fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 39 11; e-mail: anniversary@coe.fr)
Convention on the Protection
of the Environment through Criminal Law
The Convention adopted by the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in September 1998 has
so far been signed by 7 countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Iceland and Sweden.
(Contact: Peter Csonka, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex; tel:
+33 (0)3 88 41 22 38; fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 94)
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY
Annual meeting of the Strategy
Council
The next meeting of the Council
for the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (STRA-CO)
will be held in Geneva at the Palais des Nations on 20 and 21 April 1999.
(Contacts: Sipi Jaakkola, UNEP, Regional Office for Europe, 15 chemin
des Anémones, CH-1219 Châtelaine-Genève; tel: +41 22 917 82 81; fax: +41
22 917 80 24; e-mail: sipi.jaakkola@unep.ch;
Maguelonne Déjeant-Pons, Council of Europe,F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex; tel:
+33 (0)3 88 41 23 98; fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 37 51; e-mail: maguelonne.dejeant-pons@coe.fr)
Follow-up to the Aarhus ministerial
conference
The Communications Division
of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Ministry of Environment
and Energy) would like to receive copies of newspaper articles published
in the press following the Pan-European Conference of Environment Ministers
held in Aarhus in June 1998.
(Contact: Rikke K.B. Pedersen, Danish Environmental Protection Agency,
Communications Division, Strandgade 29, DK-1401 Copenhagen K; fax +45
32 66 04 25)
Action Theme 1 – Pan-European
ecological network
European Diploma of Protected
Areas
New regulations for the European diploma awarded by the Council of Europe
to protected areas of European interest were adopted by the Committee
of Ministers on 18 September 1998. The revision carried out by a group
of specialists concerns:
- abandoning the three categories
A, B and C and reorganising the related criteria;
- placing greater emphasis
on the concepts of biological and landscape diversity;
- streamlining the presentation
of the regulations;
- preparation of an information
sheet for new applications.
(Contact: Françoise Bauer, Council
of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex; tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 22 61; fax: +33
(0)3 88 41 37 51; e-mail: francoise.bauer@coe.fr).
Action theme 2 –Integration
of landscape and biological diversity into sectors
Tourism
European Parliament activities
A joint meeting of the European Parliament intergroups "Tourism" and "Conservation
and sustainable development" was held in Brussels on 11 November 1998
to discuss ecotourism. It was attended by European parliamentarians, tourism
professionals, representatives of the European Commission and representatives
of institutions and organisations working in the field of tourism and
the protection of the natural and cultural heritage. The discussions highlighted
the similar views held by the various participants who stressed the need
for all tourism policies and activities to take greater account of environmental
protection concerns. They also called for support for all European and
national initiatives which took this dimension into consideration in current
and future programmes.
(Contact: Conny Svensson, European Intergroup on Conservation and Sustainable
Development, European Bureau for Conservation and Development, rue de
la Science 10, B-1000 Brussels; tel: +32 2 230 30 70, fax +32 2 230 82
72; e-mail: ebcd@skynet.be).
Links between the sustainable
development of tourism and regional/spatial planning
In co-operation with the Spanish authorities and the Autonomous Government
of the Balearic Islands, the Council of Europe is organising a seminar
in Palma de Majorca on 26-27 May 1999, to look at measures to be included
in regional/spatial planning policies in order to secure the sustainable
development of tourism in the years ahead. The Seminar will be looking
at the various aspects involved in incorporating environmental concerns
and tourism development into regional planning programmes in urban and
rural areas and in protected areas.
(Contact: Katia Skripnichenko, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex;
tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 30 18; fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 37 51; e-mail: katia.skripnichenko@coe.fr)
Sustainable tourism in the
Mediterranean
On the initiative of the non-governmental organisation Ecomediterrania
and as part of the MED Project ULIXES 21, an international congress was
held in Sant Feliu de Guixols (Spain) from 22 to 24 October 1998. This
was the culmination of the above project – which was supported by the
European Commission amongst others – and focused on sustainable development
in the Mediterranean and the participation of civil society in the programmes
initiated in this field. The conclusions highlighted the importance of
meticulous planning of tourism development and raising the awareness of
all political and economic decision-makers and the users of tourist areas.
(Contact: Ecomediterrania, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 643, 3r. 08010
Barcelona; tel: + 34 93 4124309; fax: +34 93 4124622; e-mail: MEDForum@pangea.org)
Action area 3 – raising awareness
and support with policy makers and the public
Communication and education
From 30 November to 1 December 1998 the ECNC organised in Brdo (Slovenia)
a meeting of experts to identify the possibilities and the tasks to be
carried out in the communication and education sectors. Twenty-eight representatives
of national authorities, NGOs and pan-European international organisations
drew up the following list of priority objectives:
- establishing partnerships
and dialogue with other conservation operators (NGOs, public bodies,
representatives of the economic sector at local, national and international
levels);
- acquiring the requisite
means for the successful planning and implementation of communication
and education activities;
- placing nature conservation
on the public and political agenda.
These objectives, together
with the priorities laid down in the Aarhus Declaration and Convention
and the wishes expressed by the Strategy Council, have resulted in three
priority areas for projects coming under Action Theme 3 in the period
1999-2001. These priority areas relate to the initial objectives of the
action theme and are as follows:
- Raising awareness of, and
support for the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy
as a policy instrument and facilitating its implementation
- Giving support to other
Action Themes.
- The development of national
Action Theme 3 action plans, especially in CEE and the NIS, supporting
the implementation of national biodiversity strategies.
(Contact: Sandra Rientjes, ECNC,
P.O. Box 1352, NL-5004 Tilburg; tel: +31 13 466 32 40; fax: +31 13 466 32
50; e-mail: rientjes@ecnc.nl).
Centre Naturopa
In the context of the objectives
laid down at the Brdo meeting, the Centre Naturopa – tasked specifically
with the "information on and promoting the Pan-European Strategy" aspect
under Action Theme 3 – will be concentrating its efforts on the programme
of activities outlined below.
A new website
The Centre Naturopa will be opening its own Internet site in 1999. The
site will outline the Council of Europe's activities in the field of environment
and regional planning, provide access to the major texts and publications
and show links to the Council's partner organisations. A brochure on the
Naturopa Centre will be published to coincide with the launching of the
site.
The Council of Europe Campaign:
"Europe: a common heritage"
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Council of Europe will be
launching a vast Campaign to develop among all Europeans a shared sense
of belonging and foster tolerance between the various communities through
awareness and enhancement of their common cultural and natural heritage.
The Campaign will be officially launched in September 1999 and will run
until autumn 2000. The Campaign website will be opened in the near future.
The Centre Naturopa will be
responsible for promoting the natural heritage aspect of the campaign
and will be putting forward a number of concrete projects designed to
illustrate the essential role played by the natural heritage in the overall
concept of European heritage.
Seminar on communication
and conservation
In support of the "Europe: a common heritage" Campaign and as part of
the Centre's series of seminars organised for its national agencies, a
seminar on "Nature as heritage" will be held on 3 and 4 June 1999.
Photo and video competition
Two international photo and video-clip competitions will be launched as
part of the Centre Naturopa's contribution to the "Europe: a common heritage"
Campaign.
Publications
The three editions of the Naturopa
magazine published in 1999 will focus on:
- Local and regional authorities
and the environment
- Health and environment (in
co-operation with the World Health Organisation)
- Nature as heritage.
Forests and biodiversity will
be the subject of the next issue in the "Questions and answers" series.
The four previous issues, published in 1997 and 1998 dealt with biodiversity
(no. 1), agriculture and biodiversity (no. 2), tourism and the environment
(no. 3) and the pan-European ecological network (no. 4).
The Strategy Bulletin and the
Bern Convention News publication will continue to inform their readers
about the implementation of the Pan-European Strategy and Action Theme
11.
The proceedings of the seminar
on "Communication and biodiversity" held in June 1998 on the occasion
of the meeting of the Naturopa Centre's national agencies will be published
in the very near future.
(Contact: Naturopa Centre, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex;
tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 31 91; fax: + 33 (0)3 88 41 27 51; e-mail: centre.naturopa@coe.fr)
Action themes 6 and 7 – River
ecosystems and related wetlands and inland wetland ecosystems
World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February, the anniversary of the
signature of the Ramsar Convention on wetlands of international importance
as waterfowl habitat.
(Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland; fax: +41 22
979 9024; e-mail: taj@hq.iucn.org)
Mediterranean wetlands
The second meeting of the Mediterranean Wetlands Committee (MedWet/Com2)
was held in Valencia (Spain) from 31 January to 3 February 1999 in order
to prepare the MedWet action plan for 1999-2000.
The MedWet initiative originated in the early 1990s, under the auspices
of the Ramsar Convention with the support of the European Commission and
the co-operation of governments, NGOs and institutions. By 1996 it had
implemented a series of measures for the preservation and rational use
of Mediterranean wetlands. To facilitate the long-term management of this
work and the implementation of the Mediterranean Wetlands Strategy, the
Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention approved the setting up of
a Mediterranean Wetlands Committee (MedWet/Com). At present 25 Mediterranean
countries are members of the Committee, as are the European Commission,
the Barcelona Convention, the Bern Convention and six international non-governmental
organisations. The MedWet Committee is an autonomous consultative body
within the Ramsar Convention involving all key players in the conservation
and sustainable development of Mediterranean wetlands.
(Contacts: Delmar Blasco, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention Bureau,
Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, tel: + 41 22 999 01 70, fax: +41 22 999
01 69, e-mail: blasco@ramsar.org;
Tim Jones, Regional Co-ordinator, Ramsar Convention Bureau, tel: +41 22
999 01 73, e-mail: jones@ramsar.org;
Thymio Papayannis, MedWet Co-ordinator, 23 Voucourestiou Street, Athens
106 71, Greece, tel: +301 36 00711-4, fax: +301 36 29 338, e-mail: thymiop@hol.gr)
Action area 11 – Action on
behalf of threatened species
Bern Convention
Amphibians and reptiles
At a seminar on the implementation of action plans for amphibians and
reptiles (Thessaloniki, Greece, 28-31 May 1998), the Bern Convention Group
of Experts on the conservation of amphibians and reptiles considered the
conservation proposals contained in these plans drawn up by the IUCN's
European Reptile and Amphibian Specialist Group. The final versions of
the action plans have been forwarded by the Bern Convention Secretariat
to Contracting Parties for comment. The Group also looked at current problems
relating to the conservation of reptiles and amphibians in Europe and
made a number of proposals for activities in 1999-2000. The report of
the meeting and the seminar is available from the Secretariat.
(Contact: Sandra Jen, Secretariat of the Bern Convention, Council of Europe,
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex; tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 22 56; fax: +33 (0)3 88
41 37 51; e-mail: sandra.jen@coe.fr)
Meeting of the Bern Convention
Standing Committee
The Bern Convention Standing Committee held its 18th annual
meeting in Strasbourg from 30 November to 4 December 1998, attended, for
the first time, by a delegate from the Czech Republic as a Contracting
Party. Representatives from Croatia, Russia, San-Marino, Slovenia, Ukraine
and Mauritania also attended as observers.
Protection of species and
habitats
The Committee amended Appendix II of the Convention and adopted two resolutions
and seven recommendations.
Discussions focused on the conservation of numerous animal and plant species
and their habitats: eg protection of the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus)
in Alsace (France), protection of the badger (Meles meles) in the
United Kingdom and the fate of marine species in the Mediterranean, studied
during the discussion on the conservation of nesting beaches for marine
turtles in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. The Standing Committee also adopted
a recommendation on guidelines for the protection and management of habitats
through private or voluntary systems. This recommendation follows up on
a colloquy held in Constanta (Romania) in 1997 on incentives for the setting
up and voluntary management of protected areas. The Colloquy report was
published in the Council of Europe's "Environmental Encounters" series
(no. 35).
(Contact: Gianluca Silvestrini, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg
Cedex,; tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 35 59; fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 37 51; e-mail:
gianluca.silvestrini@coe.fr)
Emerald Network
The Standing Committee adopted the rules governing the Emerald network
and the list of species requiring special habitat conservation measures
(Resolutions 5 and 6). The adoption of these two documents means that
the Emerald Network implementation phase can begin in 1999. Four pilot
projects in Bulgaria, Russia, Slovenia and Turkey will be launched to
provide assistance to these countries in setting up databases on areas
of special interest for conservation and the animal and plant species
protected by the Bern Convention. The consultants responsible for these
pilot projects have also been given the task of drawing up recommendations
on the training of national officers responsible for maintaining the databases.
(Contact: Katia Skripnichenko, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex;
tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 30 18; fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 37 51; e-mail: katia.skripnichenko@coe.fr)
State of ratifications of
the Bern Convention
To date, the Bern Convention has 37 Contracting Parties including the
European Community. New ratifications are due to take effect shortly:
Albania ratified the Convention on 13 January 1999 (entry into force 1
May 1999), "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" signed and ratified
the Convention on 17 December 1998 (entry into force 1 April 1999), Slovenia
signed on 20 October 1998 but has not yet ratified it. Ukraine signed
the Convention on 18 August 1998 and ratified on 5 January 1999 (entry
into force 1 May 1999).
Future meetings of interest
- Malta, 3-5 June 1999 – "Workshop
on control and eradication of non-native terrestrial vertebrates" (Contact:
Gianluca Silvestrini, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex; tel:
+33 (0)3 88 41 35 59; fax:+33 (0) 88 41 37 51)
- Strasbourg, 28-29 June 1999
– "Workshop on national case-law" (Contact: Sandra Jen, Council of Europe,
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex; tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 22 56; fax +33 (0)3 88
41 37 51).
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY
IN STATES
Denmark
Sustainable management of
nature and forest resources
On the initiative of the Danish authorities and in the context of the
Danish Environmental Support Fund for Central and Eastern Europe, a report
has just been published on the strategy for sustainable management of
nature and forest resources in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and
the Kaliningrad region of Russia. The strategy detailed in the report
is based on an analysis of the current situation in these countries and
on observations made during visits carried out by the Danish National
Forests and Nature Agency.
(Contact: Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy, Danish Environmental
Protection Agency, National Forest and Nature Agency (Miljøstyrelsen,
Strandgade 29, DK-1401 København K); tel: +45 32 66 01 00).
Czech Republic
Landscape and water
After the 1997 Conference on landscape – forming programmes aimed at the
exchange of experiences for the implementation of landscape conservation
-, the Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the
Czech Republic organised a second conference on «Landscape and Water »
(22-24 April, Veseli nad Luznici, Moravia). Actual problems after the
heavy floods in 1997 in one third of the territory of the Czech Republic
were examined by about 300 conservationists, water management specialists,
foresters, local and regional state administration bodies and other professionnals.
They prepared an initial basis for environmental and agricultural understanding
for water management and landscape preservation. Art exhibitions and films
on wetlands conservation and water management were also presented. The
proceedings, including English summaries, are available at the following
address AOPK CR, Retezova 220/3, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic, Fax
+420 2 26 22 13.
United Kingdom
Guidelines for wildlife
conservation in Scotland
A new planning policy guidance document for Scottish local authorities
making land use planning decisions brings together for the first time
national and international obligations regarding natural heritage protection
in Scotland. Issued by the Scottish Office, it also clarifies the duty
placed on planning authorities to include these obligations in both structure
and local plans. A wide range of environmental groups have welcomed the
new planning document, particularly the references to the role of Local
Biodiversity Action Plans in safeguarding species and habitats, and the
encouragement of the conservation of Scotland's wildlife for the benefit
of the local community.
(Contact : English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA, UK,
Tel. +44 1733 455000, Fax +44 1733 568834)
PUBLICATIONS
.... by institutions participating
in the Strategy
European Commission
LIFE-Nature projects 1998
A brochure presenting nature conservation projects co-financed in 1998
by LIFE-Nature, the Community's environmental financial instrument, has
just been published. Eighty-five new projects were selected in 1998 for
total Community funding of ECU 48 million. These projects concern sites
offering natural habitats of Community importance or safeguarding species
of birds or other animals which are among the most under threat in the
European Union. Co-financing these projects should mean that nature conservation
can be integrated into other regional/spatial planning policies, with
a view to setting up the European network NATURA 2000.
(Contacts: B. Delpeuch and I. Venti, European Commission, Directorate
General XI, 200 rue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels; fax: +32 2 296 95 56;
e-mail: isabelle.venti@dg11.cec.be).
