Around 70 representatives from 18 European countries gathered in Oisterwijk (the Netherlands) to discuss the planning and implementation of ecological networks in Europe. The workshop, organised by ECNC in cooperation with Alterra, sought to take stock of recent advances in the research, planning and implementation of ecological networks and to formulate clear recommendations to the relevant policy makers.

Click here to read more.

Ecological Networks: from Spatial Strategy to Implementation

On 1 and 2 October 2008, an international workshop on planning, stakeholder involvement, practical delivery and cost-benefits of ecological networks takes place in Oisterwijk (the Netherlands).

This two day workshop will:

• present the latest advances in the planning and implementation of ecological networks;
• consider what represents best-practice policy;
• formulate clear and practical recommendations for a better delivery of ecological networks Europe-wide; and
• identify their specific benefits for different sectors of society.

Please note the dates in your diaries. Click here to read more.

ECNC's Annual report 2007 has been published. The report illustrates the range of ECNC's activities in 2007 and how ECNC continues to generate new activities at the interface of science and policy, business and biodiversity.

Click here to download the Annual report.

This so-called SPECIATION Network begins September 2008 with a goal to train nine young scientists to PhD level in the biological disciplines needed to understand the evolutionary origin of biological diversity. This understanding is critical to the proper management of biodiversity, especially at a time of rapid environmental change.

Click here to read more.

As part of the work on the Biodiversity Technical Assistance Units (BTAU) project for 2008, Vineta Goba (Programme Manager – Business and Biodiversity) and Rob Wolters (Executive Director ECNC) provided substantial input to two BTAU meetings in Hungary.

Rob Wolters chaired the BTAU Financial Instruments Workshop on 16 July. The meeting was held at the premises of the EBRD in Budapest.

For more information click here.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:
• ECNC and the World Biodiversity Conference
• ECNC receives Countdown 2010 award
• Recent activities in ECNC's cooperation with the Province of Noord-Brabant
• South-East Europe to combat climate change impacts on biodiversity
and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

A communication workshop was successfully completed to instil the basic skills of communication, facilitation and negotiation to nature conservation practitioners in Macedonia. The workshop was part of the third and last phase of the project “Communicating Nature Conservation in South East Europe”, funded by the Norwegian Government and carried out by ECNC in partnership with the Macedonian Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP) and the State Institute for Nature Protection (Croatia).

Click here to read more.

ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation is looking to recruit a

Biodiversity Analyst

to be seconded to the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity, ETC/BD (http://biodiversity.eionet.europa.eu), one of the five topic centres of the European Environment Agency (http://www.eea.europa.eu).

Click here to read the full announcement.

From 18 & 19 June 2008, the European Conference “Changing climate, changing biodiversity in South-East Europe” took place in Belgrade, Serbia. The conference, which focused on five SEE countries – Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey - was attended by 60 participants from countries in South-East Europe, experts from a number of Western European countries and various international organizations.

The conference confirmed predictions that Southern and South-East Europe (SEE) will be severely affected by climate change. It was concluded that the impacts of climate change in the SEE region will jeopardize the implementation of various national and international biodiversity policies.

Click here to read more.

If you are: 1) an enthusiastic and creative professional with natural resources/environmental or economic/business background, and the interest to work in the promising and rapidly developing Business and Biodiversity field;  2) you are committed to promote biodiversity conservation and to work on integration of  biodiversity concerns within economic activities; 3) you have a hands-on approach and are oriented towards action and problem solving; 4) you are keen to work internationally and in an international team - then this may be the right opportunity for you!

ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation in Tilburg, the Netherlands is looking to recruit an:

Project Manager - Business & Biodiversity (1FTE)

Click here to read the full vacancy announcement.

Thursday 5 June 2008, the Vinus Zachariasse award 2007 for best policy research has been presented. Mr Hans van Meijl of Wageningen UR (the Netherlands) received the award for his contribution to the ECNC project Scenar 2020: scenario study on agriculture and the rural world. Scenar 2020 is a high-level study which identifies future trends and the impact of driving forces on agriculture and rural regions. It offers a framework for the development of European agriculture and rural economy towards 2020.

The Vinus Zachariasse award has been presented since 2006 by the board of the Social Sciences Group of Wageningen UR. It is granted to stimulate social-scientific research. Prof. dr. ir. Vinus Zachariasse contributed highly to social-scientific research in the agriculture sector.

ECNC participated in the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Bonn, which took place in the last two weeks of May. The CBD is the international framework for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of its benefits. With 190 Parties, the CBD has near-universal participation among countries who have committed to preserving life on earth. For a report on the outcome of the Conference, please see http://www.iisd.ca/biodiv/cop9/.

ECNC's involvement focussed on Countdown 2010 and communication, business and biodiversity, financial investments in biodiversity, communication for nature and biodiversity conservation, protected areas and ecological networks, and biodiversity conservation in South-East Europe. ECNC contributed to the organization and the discussions of various side events.

Click here to read more.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:
• UK study tour breaks new ground in the Netherlands
• EAZA European Carnivore Campaign
• KYOTO – a new kind of project involvement for ECNC
and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

Predictions are that Southern and South-East Europe may be severely affected by climate change. There is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that the effects of climate change on biodiversity and the ‘goods and services’ that ecosystems provide are steadily increasing. There will be increasing problems for local and regional communities that depend on the services provided by ecosystems to sustain acceptable living conditions and welfare.

ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation and REC-Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe are organizing a conference that aims to further increase the existing knowledge and awareness about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services and to bring people together to establish ongoing dialogue and to take important steps towards solutions. The conference will identify and implement realistic solutions that will help maintain the quality of the biodiversity in the South-East European region.

For more information, click here.

Last weekend, more than 25,000 people visited the three-day event ‘Animal Event’, in Safaripark Beekse Bergen, the Netherlands. The event offers educational entertainment for pet, animal and nature lovers. Central theme this year was ‘Children, nature and the future’. Sustainability, biodiversity and the natural environment of humans and animals were given an important role throughout the event. In the special biodiversity stand, for instance, visitors could sign the Countdown 2010 Citizens’ Declaration (see also www.redbiodiversiteitinbrabant.nl).

Click here to read further.

Vineta Goba, ECNC's Programme Manager Business and Biodiversity, attended on behalf of ECNC two major international events. The conference ‘Biodiversity and Ecosystem Finance’ took place on 27 & 28 March in New York, USA. It was organized by the CBD Secretariat and UNEP Finance Initiative, was the first global forum of its kind.

The other conference, on Business and Biodiversity, was held 2 & 3 April in Bonn, Germany. It was a follow-up and the German Government’s response to the High-Level Business and Biodiversity Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2007.

Click here to read further.

On 18-21 April, the Feels Like Home event takes place in Boxtel, the Netherlands. The event aims to raise the awareness of people about the National Landscape Het Groene Woud, living a sustainable life, and living in Europe. The Feels Like Home programme consists of a large-scale series of sub-events which are aimed at traditional citizens and non-agricultural companies in the area of the National Landscape Het Groene Woud; target groups that are important but often not focused on.

Click here to read further.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:
• Tilburg’s Deputy Mayor/Alderman of Environment Mrs Moorman visits ECNC
• World protected areas meeting held in Rome
• ECNC coordinating new project on impacts of climate change in South-East Europe
• New ECNC service: facilitation and facilitation training
and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

From now on Dutch citizens are also able to sign the Countdown 2010 Declaration. The website www.redbiodiversiteitinbrabant.nl contains a Citizens’ Declaration (‘Burgerverklaring’) which is to be filled in and signed by as many citizens as possible. On World Biodiversity Day, 22 May 2008, the signed declarations will be presented to the Regional Minister for Ecology Mr Onno Hoes.

Click here to read further.

If you are: 1) an enthusiastic and creative professional with education in planning or environmental fields; 2) you have a heart for biodiversity; 3) you are oriented towards action and solving problems; 4) you have a strong interest in the multifunctionality of landscapes, ecological connectivity, and stakeholder involvement; and 5) you are keen to work internationally and in an international team - then this may be the job for you!

ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation in the Netherlands is looking to recruit an:

(Senior) Project Manager
(dependent on age and experience - 1FTE)

You can find the full vacancy here:

On 23 February 2008 the symposium 'Beautiful Hageland, Nature and Landscape as a lever for a region’ took place in St.-Pieters-Rode (Holsbeek), Flanders, Belgium. The symposium focused on ways in which the Hageland region’s identity and related high biodiversity and landscape richness can help in combining economy and ecology in a balanced and new way. The symposium, which was organized by Natuurpunt Oost-Brabant, also discussed progress in Natuurpunt’s Countdown 2010 campaign and the successful Walks for Nature.

Keynote speaker was ECNC’s Executive Director Rob Wolters, who addressed the issue of combining biodiversity and landscape, regional identity and economic development from a European perspective.

Click here to read further.

From 30 January to 1 February, Aysegul Cil (ECNC Programme Manager) and Mark Snethlage (ECNC Project Manager) travelled to Zagreb for the kick off meeting launching the last phase of the Communicating for Nature Conservation project with the local partners in Croatia, the State Institute for Nature Conservation (SINP). They discussed the proposed work plan with Petra Rodiæ Baranoviæ, Kristijan Èiviæ, Aljoša Dupliæ of the SINP and with Aleksandra Majiæ of the University of Ljubljana.

Click here to read further.

From 10 to 12 October 2007 the Sixth Ministerial Conference 'Environment for Europe' took place in Belgrade, Serbia. ECNC organized or co-organized the two official PEBLDS side event seminars at Belgrade, of which you can download a brief summary here:

• European Ecological Network - putting the network into practice, together with the Council of Europe, the SEENET focus group, the Netherlands, European ECO-Forum, and various other partners;
• Regions and local authorities as champions for biodiversity 2010, together with the Province of Noord-Brabant, Countdown 2010 Alliance, the governments of Croatia and the Netherlands, UNEP and other partners.

On 12 and 13 December 2007, ECNC’s Croatian and Macedonian partners in the project ‘Communicating nature conservation in Croatia and Macedonia’ visited the Netherlands for a programme that included a mini-seminar and site visits. The project, funded by the Norwegian Government, is now in its third phase. The first two project phases included basic and advanced in-country training courses on communication and stakeholder involvement including selected pilot sites in both countries.

This study visit aimed to provide more insights into the role of stakeholders in the management of nature areas in the Netherlands. The participants also saw how communication and stakeholder involvement are taken up in the management of Natura 2000 areas in Europe and in Dutch nature areas.

Click here to read further.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:
• Brabant’s new Regional Minister for Ecology visits ECNC
• How is community involved in urban biodiversity assessment? Results from Zagreb...
• LIFESCAPE Final Event: presentation of the LIFESCAPE project results
• ECNC Board meeting in Belgium welcomes new member
and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

In the afternoon of 12 December 2007, local and regional stakeholders from the southwestern provinces of the Netherlands gathered in Dordrecht. They discussed local biodiversity initiatives and shared experience and examples of good practice. The concrete and informal character of the workshop was very much appreciated and stimulated active participation.

Click here to read more.

On 12 and 13 November 2007 the EU high-level Conference ‘Business and Biodiversity’ took place. The Conference was organized by the Portuguese EU Presidency in office and the European Commission, with support from Countdown 2010. ECNC was also involved in the Conference preparations.

Click here to read further.

On 9 November 2007, ECNC’s annual Board meeting took place in the National Botanical Gardens in Meise, Belgium. The meeting was hosted by Prof. Dr Jan Rammeloo, ECNC Treasurer and Director of the Botanical Gardens. During the meeting, the Board welcomed a new Board member and accepted a new ECNC Network Partner as well.

Click here to read more.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:

• 6th Ministerial Conference 'Environment for Europe' reconfirms its commitment to European biodiversity 2010 target
• LARA 2010 project communicating the 2010 biodiversity targets in Europe
• Training workshop 'Communicating nature conservation in the Balkan region'
• Successful exchange visit to the New Forest

and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

The new ECNC brochure for a Beautiful Europe has been warmly welcomed by ECNC's Board as well as its Bureau members. You can download the brochure here.

From 10 to 12 October 2007 the Sixth Ministerial Conference 'Environment for Europe' took place in Belgrade, Serbia. The Ministers adopted the so-called Belgrade Biodiversity Statement, via which they reconfirmed Europe's political commitment to the European biodiversity 2010 target to halt the decline of biodiversity by the year 2010. The Ministers expressed their worries about the continuing decline of Europe's biodiversity. They will continue to invest in realizing the target in time.

Click here to read further.

The SEENET programme, which is due to end in November 2007, facilitates the implementation of the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN) in the South-East European and Black Sea Region. The third and final Focus Group meeting was held on 25 and 26 September 2007 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The main aim of the meeting was to present to the Focus Group members the achievements of the programme so far, to brainstorm about the possible follow-up actions, second generation SEENET ideas, and to evaluate the programme’s elements.

For further information click here.

An ECNC team conducted a two-day workshop for the project ‘Communicating Nature Conservation in the Balkan region’ in September 2007 in Mavrovo National Park, FYRO Macedonia.  The workshop aimed to assist a partnership of key stakeholders (with the support of the Macedonian Ministry of Environment) in agreeing and establishing a collaborative platform for the ongoing management of the Mavrovo National Park. A first workshop was held in Mavrovo in June 2007.

To read further, click here.

Ministers and senior officials from 56 countries will meet in Belgrade, Serbia, from 10 to 12 October 2007 for the 6th Pan-European Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe", Europe’s highest-level environmental forum.

Download here the official press release:

Currently there is no tool that quantifies the possible impacts of Community policies on biodiversity in Europe. The BioScore project is responding to this need by developing a database that integrates species-pressure relationships with distribution data. This tool will allow policymakers to assess the possible impacts of policy measures they are taking. It will enhance decision making to the benefit of Europe’s biodiversity. The new brochure shows some initial results of biofuel impacts on the amount of different butterfly species. Please note that the results will be validated and scrutinized and should be regarded as indicative only.

Click here to download the brochure. For more information, visit the BioScore website at www.ecnc.org/Bioscore/ or contact the Project Coordinator, Ben Delbaere (delbaere@ecnc.org).

ECNC's Annual report 2006 has been published and is currently being distributed. The report illustrates the range of ECNC's activities in 2006 and how ECNC continues to generate new activities at the interface of science and policy, and economy and ecology.

Click here to download the Annual report.

The August issue of the ECNC Update has been published on ECNC's website.

Contents include:

• Biodiversity ‘special issue’ at the Sixth Ministerial Conference ‘Environment for Europe’
• NatureNet Europe coordinates Year of the Dolphin
• Training workshops ‘Communicating for nature conservation in the Balkan region’
• Countdown 2010 Partners Assembly

and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

The Working Group of Senior Officials preparing the Sixth Ministerial Conference ‘Environment for Europe’, to be held in Belgrade from 10 to 12 October 2007, has decided to prioritize biodiversity as a special issue.  In this way, they have met the explicit request of ECNC, IUCN, the Countdown 2010 Secretariat and CEEWEB to upgrade the position of biodiversity conservation on the Conference agenda.

ECNC will make various contributions to the Belgrade conference. Click here to read further.

More than 50 scientists and researchers met for a two day workshop in Kiev, Ukraine, on 3-4 July 2007 as part of the ECNC – coordinated project: ‘Supporting public involvement in building capacity for Ukrainian biodiversity monitoring’. It was the first time that people active in biodiversity monitoring in the Ukraine had come together to: hear about the project; to listen to a series of excellent presentations about current progress in the field; and, in some cases, to meet each other for the first time.

Click here to read further.

The June 2007 issue of the ECNC Update has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:

• Kick-off meeting ‘Communicating for nature conservation in the Balkan Region’
• Amsterdam and Vereniging Natuurmonumenten sign the Countdown 2010 declaration
• European travelling notebooks reach their final destination
• How will biofuel plantations affect European biodiversity?  Preliminary findings from BioScore
  and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

Right in the heart of the so-called ‘Sustainable Triangle’ (Duurzame Driehoek), the area in between the cities ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven and Tilburg in the Netherlands, 11 municipalities signed the Countdown 2010 declaration. Despite the pouring rain, there was a positive spirit and everybody present welcomed the new partners. This means that all 16 municipalities within the Sustainable Triangle have now signed up to Countdown 2010!

Click here to read more.

If you are an enthusiastic professional with education in social or environmental fields, have a heart for biodiversity, a strong interest in communication, public participation and stakeholder involvement, and you are keen to work in an international team, then this may be your job!

ECNC – European Centre for Nature Conservation in Tilburg, the Netherlands is looking to recruit an:

ECNC Project Manager

The Project Manager will be responsible for coordinating and contributing to international and national projects in ECNC’s Programme on ‘Nature and Society’, and will also provide contributions to other relevant ECNC programmes.

Click here to read further.

On Monday the 4th of June, Amsterdam and the Dutch NGO 'Natuurmonumenten' signed the Countdown 2010 declaration in the Amsterdam botanical gardens. The signing by the Dutch capital was a successful ending to the ECNC/IUCN project ‘Countdown 2010 in the Dutch region’ which was funded by the Dutch ministry for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Amsterdam pledged to invest 12 million Euro for biodiversity conservation and implement a 2010 plan of action that will augment the efforts already undertaken by the City of Amsterdam.

Click here to read further.

As part of Biodiversity Day 2007, ECNC launches its first Position Statement on 22 May 2007. The statement briefly highlights the views of ECNC on 'Climate Change and Biodiversity', obviously referring to the focus of Biodiversity Day 2007.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity decided the focus of International Biodiversity Day 2007 will be on 'Biodiversity and Climate Change'. This complements the designation of 2007 as the International Polar Year and coincides with UNEP’S World Environment Day theme of Climate Change. Lectures, seminars, film presentations, cultural events, exhibitions and school outreach activities are just some suggestions that you may wish to implement to help draw attention to one of the most critical issues facing our planet today.

Click here to read further.

During the three-day event ‘Animal Event’, almost 15,000 visitors were taken back to their pets’ roots  in Safaripark Beekse Bergen, the Netherlands. Central theme was the link between pets and their wild ancestors.

Animal Event was opened by Mr Frank Petter, mayor of Woudrichem and chair of the workgroup for municipalities on Biodiversity and Countdown 2010 in Noord-Brabant. ECNC, the Province of Noord-Brabant and some other organizations set up the biodiversity pavilion.

Click here to read further.

The April 2007 issue of the ECNC Update has been published on ECNC's website.

Contents include:

• Biodiversity and climate change – European regions and local authorities join forces
• A new future for the pan-European biodiversity cooperation?
• Do the sectors of spatial planning and ecological networks interact?
• ALTER-Net All Parties' Conference
  and more…

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

What is the level of interaction between the policy sectors dealing with spatial planning and those dealing with ecological networks in Europe? This is the central question to a new project that ECNC is going to lead in the next 22 months.

Click here to read further.

On 11-13 April 2007, a training seminar on funding sources for nature conservation and ecological networks will take place in Istanbul, as part of the SEENET programme.

Click here to read further.

At the 3rd BioScore project team meeting which took place in the Bilt, the Netherlands, the preliminary maps showing the potential distribution of species using environmental variables were presented. The next step will be to compare them with the actual distribution of species in order to produce maps showing the change of species composition in Europe due to some of the main drivers in Europe ( e.g. land use, fragmentation, infrastructure, climate change, pollution).

Click here to read further.

What are the impacts of climate change on biodiversity? How can biodiversity help in mitigating and adapting to climate change? What are the roles of the European regions to win the battle against climate change?

These are some of the topics addressed in the newly published report ‘Climate Change - the role of the European regions’, produced by ECNC -European Centre for Nature Conservation on the request of the Regional Minister for the Environment, Nature and Water of the Province of Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands. The outcomes of this publication were presented at the European conference ‘Biodiversity and Regions’ that took place on 15-16 February 2007 in Oisterwijk, The Netherlands.

Representatives of European regions, local communities, leaders of European institutions, and other stakeholders concluded that biodiversity is the basis for lives of people and an important precondition for our well-being. Great concern was expressed about developments in Europe that jeopardize the ‘ecosystem services’ which biodiversity provides, such as nutrition, natural flood control, possibilities for recreation and regulation of air and water quality. In Europe biodiversity is decreasing rapidly due to changes in land use. On top of that there are the negative effects of climate change on biodiversity.

Click here to read further.

• Biodiversity and business, addressing the interaction between biodiversity and economic, financial and land use sectors, with an emphasis on banking, agriculture and corporate ecological entrepreneurship;
• Regional development, addressing the role of biodiversity and landscapes in rural and urban planning and land use, including ecosystem services and branding of regional products;
• Economic valuation of biodiversity, addressing and measuring the contribution of biodiversity to the economy and innovation.

Click here to read further.

Conference 'European regions as champions for biodiversity 2010’

On 15 and 16 February the conference “European regions as champions for biodiversity 2010 - Europe meets Brabant, Brabant meets Europe” will take place in Oisterwijk, Province Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands. The conference will be opened by leaders from EU institutions and will bring together over 150 people from 20 countries. The conference will address the role of regions and local communities in realizing the European political target to halt the decline of biodiversity by the year 2010. It will focus on how to involve people in reaching this highly ambitious target and how to balance regional development and the conservation and wise use of biodiversity and landscapes.

Click here to read more.

Europe needs a large-scale biodiversity research infrastructure to live up to the challenges of sustainability and competitiveness. Biodiversity experts from all over Europe shared experiences this week on how they cooperate to achieve this aim. ECNC participated in this event to ensure that biodiversity research meets policy requirements.

Click here to read further.

The Scenar 2020 study aims at identifying of future trends and driving forces that will be the framework for the European agricultural and rural economy on the horizon of 2020.

Scenar 2020 provides a systematic review of the primary variables that rural and agricultural policies have to take into account. These are:

- the rural demographic patterns,
- the agricultural technology,
- the agricultural markets, and
- the natural and social constraints on land use that are likely to exist in 2020.

This twelve-month study was carried out by the ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation, Landbouw-Economisch Instituut, the Leibnitz-Zentrum für Agrarlandforschung, Leibnitz Institut für Länderkunde, the Central European University and the European Landowners Organisation.

Click here to read further.

The Year of the Dolphin 2007 has been announced in September 2006 by Prince Albert II of Monaco, who acts a Patron of the Year; its world wide coordination is at UNEP-CMS in Bonn. NatureNet Europe is a Year of the Dolphin Associate.

All over the world dolphin populations are threatened by fisheries, habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and underwater noise from seismic surveys and military sonar. It is estimated that, world wide, almost every minute a dolphin is killed in a fishing net.

The Year of the Dolphin campaign will focus on information and education to create a better awareness of dolphins and their protection and fund raising through the Dolphin Fund. The campaign in the Netherlands has been opened by the North Sea swimmers at the traditional New Year swim in Noordwijk, near Leiden. The campaign in Belgium was launched January 17th.

Click here to read further.

On 15 and 16 February 2007, a European conference will take place in Oisterwijk, the Netherlands. The central theme is "European regions as champions for biodiversity 2010 - Europe meets Brabant, Brabant meets Europe".

The conference is being organised by the Province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands, in close cooperation with:
• ECNC – the European Centre for Nature Conservation;
• B&E - Brabant & Europe Partnership for Sustainability;
• the Secretariat of the EU Committee of the Regions;
• the Provinces of Zeeland and Zuid-Holland.

The conference takes place under the auspices of the European Commission, the EU Committee of the Regions and the Countdown 2010 Partnership.

Click here to read further.

On 20 December two seminars took place, focussing on implementing the Countdown 2010 commitment in Noord-Brabant, the region that was the very first to sign the Countdown 2010. Both meetings were organised by the Province of Noord-Brabant and ECNC as part of the B&E Partnership.

Click here to read further.

The December 2006 issue of the ECNC Update has been published on ECNC's website.

Contents include:

• Brabant’s Regional Minister Annemarie Moons visits ECNC’s headquarters
• Announcement of European Conference ‘European Regions as Champions for Biodiversity 2010’
• Dutch support to Countdown 2010 grows
• SEENET programme on the move

On 7 December 2006 the kick-off meeting of the project ‘Supporting public involvement in building capacity for Ukrainian biodiversity monitoring’ took place in Kyiv (Ukraine) in the Aarchus centre of the Ministry of Environment of Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Environment of Ukraine, the Academy of Science (Institute of Zoology and Institute of Botany of Ukraine) and NGOs (National Ecological Centre of Ukraine and ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation).

Click here to read further.

On Wednesday 20 December 2006, the province of Noord-Brabant organises in close cooperation with ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation and the municipality of Waalwijk, a workshop about Countdown 2010 and biodiversity. The workshop is for municipalities, waterboards and organizations from the province of Noord-Brabant and takes place in Waalwijk. The main goal of the workshop is to discuss the provincial biodiversityprogramme and learn from existing projects and initiatives.

Click here to download the invitation letter (only in Dutch).

As part of the implementation of the SEENET programme, focusing on the establishment of the European Ecological Network in South-East Europe and the Black Sea region, a wide range of activities and meetings took place in recent weeks, resulting in a solid basis to further implement ecological networks.

Click here to read further.

From 9 to 12 October 2006, ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation presented and implemented various activities in the field of the European Ecological Network. This took place during the 10th meeting of the Council of Europe’s Expert Committee for the Pan-European Ecological Network and the European capacity-building seminar on ecological networks and regional planning, both held in Strasbourg.

Click here to read further.

During the national seminar 'Biodiversiteit biedt kansen' on 10 and 11 October 2006, three Dutch municipalities, one district of Amsterdam, the NGO Brabants Landschap, and the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality signed the Countdown 2010 declaration. In doing so, they explicitly express their good intentions to help achieve the 2010 target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010.

Click here to read further.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:

• Future of the pan-European biodiversity process
• SENSOR takes stock of progress
• Workshop 'What is the smell of biodiversity?'
• ECNC involved in the development of ecological network in China

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

How can we best communicate the state and trends in biodiversity to high-level policymakers? And what role can highly aggregated biodiversity indices play in this? If only we could smell biodiversity or have an extra sense to feel biodiversity. That would make communication about it much easier and more convincing.

These are some of the points addressed during the final workshop on 28 September 2006 of the ALTER-Net project ‘Aggregating biodiversity indicators for policy purposes: sense or nonsense?’ This meeting, held at the Flemish Research Institute for Nature and Forest in Brussels, brought together about 30 participants (policymakers, producers and users of indices and scientists) to discuss the outputs of the project as well as communication issues.

Click here to read further.

On 10 and 11 October 2006 a seminar entitled ‘Biodiversity offers opportunities: Regional and local initiatives for a greener Netherlands’ will be held at the Province House in 's-Hertogenbosch, Noord-Brabant.

The seminar is being organized in the framework of 'Countdown 2010 in the region’ (financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality).

Click here to read further.

Transport corridors, such as roads and railways, have been proven to be major causes of habitat fragmentation. They not only cause the loss of natural habitats but also affect the quality of adjacent habitats, inhibit animal movements and last but not least, increase unnatural wildlife mortality due to collisions with traffic. In Bulgaria, no measures have yet been taken to reduce the impacts of habitat fragmentation by transport corridors. Moreover, no plans exist to implement measures to overcome the problems that roads and railways cause by dissecting natural habitats.
Click here to read further.

On 28 September 2006 the workshop ‘Aggregating biodiversity indices for policy purposes – sense or nonsense?’, which is part of the ALTER-Net project, will be held in Brussels.

For years there has been a debate among scientists and between scientists and policymakers/politicians on the usefulness of aggregating biodiversity parameters and indicators into indices. Scientists are concerned with detail, reliability, replicability, accuracy, etc. (in indicator criteria mostly summarized to 'sound science') whereas high-level politicians are interested in the broad picture, the key message, preferably a value of biodiversity condensed in one figure on a scale from 0 to 10.

Click here to read further.

From 9 to 12 October 2006 the European seminar ‘Balancing regional planning and ecological networks in South-East European and Black Sea region’ will be held in Strasbourg (France). This seminar, which is being organized by ECNC, EUCC-the Coastal Union and Eurosite, as part of the SEENET programme, will take place back-to-back with the joint meeting of the Emerald Group of Experts and the Expert Committee of the Pan-European Ecological Network (taking place on 9 and 10 October 2006).

For further details click here.

Message of ECNC’s President, Sir Brian Unwin

2005 was a year of considerable changes and exceptional new challenges for ECNC. It was the
last year with a substantial guaranteed percentage of fixed programme budgets, and a year in which effective attention for biodiversity conservation in Europe further decreased, despite the commitment of European governments to halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. 2005 also brought sad news: in June ECNC’s founding father and our good friend Albert Klinkenbergh passed away. We will never forget Albert and he will continue to inspire our deeds and actions.
ECNC adopted a new strategic midterm orientation, positioning itself as a European foundation offering innovative and tailor-made biodiversity expertise for sustainable development. ECNC’s Board, Scientific Council and Secretariat were reorganized to prepare them to take up the new challenges. This had a considerable impact on the organization, including those working for ECNC on a daily basis.
But I am glad to conclude that the outcome of this process was successful. The organization is now better equipped for the future. This is crucial, since life will not get any easier for NGOs and intergovernmental organizations: the cake is getting smaller and more semi-governmental organizations which still receive significant governmental support are entering the competitive biodiversity ‘market’.

To read more and download the document for free, click here...

ECNC together with Vereniging Natuurmonumenten (NM) finalised the transboundary European Ecological Network pilot project between Poland and Belarus for the world-famous Bialowieza Forest in 2005 with the completion of an indicate map of ecological network of this internationally renowned area and a summary of the technical back ground documents on hydrology, forestry, tourism and ecological networks. This was the first time ever such cross-border ecological network was prepared and published for this international forest area, also indicating search areas for potential gateways for the migration of species between the Polish and Belarus sides of this forest. Migration is hampered by the border fence which splits this area in two parts.

For more information, click here...

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:

• Communicating Nature Conservation in Croatia – Training Workshop
• Fourth LIFESCAPE – YOUR LANDSCAPE Partner Forum: joint activities in action!
• ‘Bialowieza – A Forest of Hope’ project finalized
• New ECNC Network partner

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

Boosting international cooperation for ecological networks in South and East Europe
18 July 2006, Tilburg, Budapest

Today, the South and East European Ecological Network (SEENET) programme website was officially launched by the president of the Committee of Experts for the development of the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN) of the Council of Europe, Mr Jan-Willem Sneep.
Click here for the full press release.

The 'Bialowieza – Forest of Hope Appeal 2006' resulted from the international workshop 'Bialowieza - A forest of hope' that was held in Bialowieza, on the border of Poland and Belarus in April 2006. The workshop was organized by ECNC, Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, Bialowieza National Park in Poland and Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park in Belarus, together with several other organizations.
The Bialowieza - Forest of Hope Appeal includes suggestions for concrete priority actions and principles for hydrology, sustainable tourism, forestry and ecological networks, and the links to agriculture.

Click here to read the full text of the Appeal.

Communicating Nature Conservation in Croatia – Training Workshop

26 to 30 June 2006, Velebit Mountain, Croatia

At the end of June, ECNC, in association with the Croatian State Institute for Nature Protection, organized a training workshop on communication in conservation in Velebit National Park, Croatia. Twenty-four participants from government agencies, national parks and protected areas, NGOs and local authorities attended the workshop, which was conducted by ECNC Deputy Executive Director Sandra Rientjes; Programme Manager - Nature and Society Aysegul Cil, and Senior Programme Officer Natasja Hulst, in close collaboration with ECNC associate Tom Kovacs and Lawrence Jones-Walters from English Nature.

For more information click here.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website. Contents include:

• B&E workshop on landscape integration of industrial estates
• ECNC at Green Week 2006
• Communicating Nature Conservation in Macedonia – Training Workshop
• ECNC Bureau meeting

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

From 7 to 9 June 2006, the fourth LIFESCAPE Partner Forum was held in Eastbourne, England, the location of the offices of a LIFESCAPE partner: the South Downs Joint Committee.
For more information, click here.

Communicating Nature Conservation in Macedonia – A Practical Training Workshop for Government Agencies, Public Institutions and NGOs
24 May 2006 – 27 May 2006, Pelister National Park, Macedonia

ECNC, in association with the Macedonian Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, organized a capacity-building workshop for 25 staff members from national and regional conservation authorities, NGOs, media and national parks in Macedonia. This workshop took place in Macedonia’s oldest national park, Pelister.
Click here to read further.





Pelister National Park

Brussels, Belgium

ECNC actively participated in the annual Green Week organized by the European Commission, DG Environment, which took place from 30 May to 2 June in Brussels. The focus of Green Week 2006 was on biodiversity, principally on the four main components of our endeavour to halt biodiversity loss: biodiversity as a global issue, the management of natural resources, space for nature, and biodiversity and society.
Click here to read more.

The European Commission’s DG Environment invited Ben Delbaere and Ana Nieto from ECNC to one of its Unit meetings (Unit B2 on Nature and Biodiversity) to present the BioScore project. This meeting took place on 15 May at the DG Environment headquarters, and was attended by nine of the Unit staff.

The purpose of the meeting was to involve the policymakers in the BioScore project as it will deliver a tool to help them assess the impacts of certain pressures on biodiversity.
Click here to read further.

On 12 May in Belgrade, Serbia-Montenegro, the first focus group meeting took place on the ECNC programme for the establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN) in countries in South-East Europe and the Black Sea region (SEENET).
Click here to read further.

The BioScore News Alert has been set up to keep you informed of news and recent developments and activities within the BioScore project on assessing biodiversity impacts by using species sensitivity scores. It is intended for policymakers, scientists, NGOs and other interested parties.

This electronic news alert will be published at regular intervals and is available at the BioScore website. Try out the first issue at http://www.ecnc.org/Issue1-April2006/Index_589.html.

To subscribe to the news alert mailing list, please send an e-mail to nieto@ecnc.org.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website. Contents include:

• Report on the 4th 'Biodiversity for Europe' Conference
• NatureNet Europe develops programme for Wadden Sea
• Countdown 2010 in the Dutch regions
• Renewed ECNC Scientific Council to strengthen ECNC's quality

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

From 6 to 8 April 2006, the international workshop 'Bialowieza -A forest of hope' took place in Bialowieza, on the border of Poland and Belarus. It was organized by ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation, Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, Bialowieza National Park in Poland and Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park in Belarus, together with a wide range of other organizations. The workshop was part of a project that will be finalized by the end of May 2006.
For more information, click here.

B&E (Brabant&Europe) Partnership, of which ECNC hosts the Secretariat, is organizing a workshop on the integration of industrial estates into nature and landscape, to be held on 20 April 2006 at the VIBA Expo building in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The workshop is being organized by B&E in cooperation with several organizations for economic, social and environmental innovation in Noord-Brabant, such as PIT (Projects Innovation Team) of the Province of Noord-Brabant, BOM (Noord-Brabant Development Agency), BOM Business Parks and BMF (Noord-Brabant Environmental Federation).
The theme of this workshop is currently very topical in spatial planning in the Netherlands and elsewhere. It will focus on the possibilities for the development of nature and the landscape integration of new and existing industrial estates. This theme was suggested during ECNC's 10th Anniversary Seminar held in ‘s–Hertogenbosch in November 2003.
Later this year the workshop will be followed up by an administrative conference.
For more information on the workshop, please contact Peter von Meijenfeldt, B&E Partnership Manager.

The latest issue of ECNC Update has been published on the ECNC website. Contents include:

• 4th Biodiversity for Europe Conference preparations
• ECNC to quantify policy impacts on biodiversity
• New ECNC Scientific Council appointed
• ECNC joins Eurosite network
  and more...

You can find the ECNC Update at http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation is starting up a programme to facilitate the establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network in South-East Europe and the Black Sea Area.
This two-year programme will be carried out by ECNC in cooperation with EUCC-the Coastal Union and Eurosite, and with various partner organizations and the governments in this region. The programme is funded by the BBI Matra fund of the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read the full text.

1 February 2006, Tilburg, the Netherlands

ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation has received a grant of nearly €1 million under the EU Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme for a three-year project to support Community policies. The BioScore project (Biodiversity impact assessment using species sensitivity scores) will develop a tool to support biodiversity monitoring and to quantify the impacts of selected European Community policy measures.
Click here for the complete text of the press release.

ECNC is looking for experienced candidates for the post of programme manager, social context of nature and biodiversity (38 hours/week), to be based at the ECNC secretariat in Tilburg. For more information click here.

Paris, France, 23 January 2006

On 23 January a prep meeting took place in Paris to discuss the preparations for the 4th Intergovernmental Conference 'Biodiversity in Europe', which will be held from 22 to 25 February in Croatia. This conference will prepare for the European input into the next Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (in Brazil) and will also take stock of the progress of realizing the Kyiv 2010 biodiversity target of halting the loss of biodiversity all over Europe by 2010. The conference will be hosted by the Croatian Ministry of Culture.
Click here to read more.

LIFESCAPE - YOUR LANDSCAPE is a project about using our landscape to bring people together to create added value and quality of life.

From 7-9 December 2005, the third LIFESCAPE Partner Forum was held in St. Omer, France, where one of the offices of a LIFESCAPE partner is located: Le Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale. To read more click here.

The latest issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published on the ECNC website.

Contents include:

• SoBio workshop results reviewed
• MEA-Scope mid-term meeting
• ECNC’s Annual Board meeting focuses on innovation
• Green light for new project in Noord-Brabant
• and more...

You can find it at: http://www.ecnc.org/EcncUpdate/Index_34.html

On 11 and 12 November 2005 the ECNC Board met in Tilburg, the Netherlands, for its annual meeting. The Board decided to strengthen ECNC’s role as a European biodiversity expertise centre for sustainable development, while stressing the foundation character.
Learn more.

Biodiversity and the Food Sector: An initial review of the extent to which biodiversity is protected through Food Standards in Europe
This report provides an initial review of the extent to which biodiversity is protected through food standards in Europe.
Click here for more information.

BIOfACT: Assessing the factors that affect farmers willingness and ability to cooperate in biodiversity policies

The final output of the BIOfACT project has now been published. This is a handbook for policymakers aimed at assisting them in increasing the participation of farmers to incorporate biodiversity policies into agricultural practice.
For more information click here.