“Europe determined to counterbalance dramatic effects of climate change on biodiversity”

Madrid, 21 January 2004

The Third Intergovernmental 'Biodiversity in Europe' Conference and the 8th Meeting of the Council of the Pan European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS) were closed with a strong European message to the the 7th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP7/CBD), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9 - 20 February 2004.

PEBLDS´ President Mrs. Sylvi Ofstad said in her closing speech: “Recent research results make clear that climate change will accelerate the current decline of nature and biodiversity worldwide. If we do not act now the face of Europe and the whole planet could dramatically change, affecting life and economies on Earth. However, I trust that the outcomes of our Pan-European meetings will boost an engagement and create a will to fight this alarming scenario. We are more determined then ever to halt the decline of nature and biodiversity by 2010”.

The 2010 target to halt the degradation of the region's biological and landscape diversity was endorsed as part of the ‘Kyiv Resolution on Biodiversity’ at the 5th Ministerial Conference ‘Environment for Europe’ in Kyiv, May 2003. The PEBLDS Council decided on further actions on the nine priority themes of the Kyiv Resolution, such as agriculture, forestry, ecological networks, biodiversity financing, and alien species.

Mrs. Sylvi Ofstad said she was very pleased with the announcement of EU´s Commissioner of the Environment, Margot Wallström that the European Commission will work with PEBLDS to realize the so called “2010 target” in Europe

The Third Intergovernmental 'Biodiversity in Europe' Conference was hosted by the Spanish Government in Madrid, between 19-21 January 2004. The event, which was organized by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Council of Europe, focused mainly on the priority issues for the 7th global Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and on the achievement of the '2010 target'.

Note for the editor:

The Third Intergovernmental Conference “Biodiversity in Europe” and 8th meeting of the Council of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy took place between 18 – 21 January 2004, in the Palacio de Congresos, Madrid, Spain.

The conference brought together Ministers and other representatives of all European governments, senior officials, international organizations and NGOs. Key items of the agenda included marine and coastal biological diversity, biological diversity of mountainous regions, protected areas and ecological networks of Europe, transfer of technology and technology cooperation, and the follow up of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Directly before and after the Third Intergovernmental Conference “Biodiversity in Europe”, the 8th Meeting of the Council of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy took place. The Strategy promotes the European implementation of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and issues such as the realization of the Pan-European Ecological Network.

For more information please contact Ms Ivonne Higuero, Co-ordinator of the Joint Secretariat of PEBLDS (UNEP and the Council of Europe), tel: +41 22 91 78395 , E-mail: Ivonne.Higuero@unep.ch , and/or Ms Agnes Bruszik, Programme and Communication Officer, ECNC, tel: +36 01 391 17 63 E-mail: bruszik@ecnc.hu or visit website for documents: www.strategygiude.org.