Supporting international organizations and policy initiatives

Bringing biodiversity policy closer to the heart of society and economic sector

Integrating biodiversity policy into science, society and economic sectors.

International policy on biodiversity must be supported because:
• it increasingly affects national and local policy and people’s daily lives;
• policy development, implementation and evaluation needs expert support;
• science, society and economic sectors play an important role in biodiversity conservation;
• a target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 has been set and time is running out;
• policymakers cannot reach their targets alone.

In Europe the political interest in nature and biodiversity conservation has increased in recent years. An important target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 has been set. Effective implementation of international policy is successful only if all relevant partners are involved.

International agreement has been reached, it is time for implementation

With many European policy documents, instruments and commitments in place, there is a need for:
• consistent and concrete action towards implementation on all geographical levels;
• stronger anchoring of policy into science and civic society;
• communication and information about the relevance of biodiversity policies;
• mainstreaming of biodiversity policies into economic and financial policies;
• involvement of all relevant stakeholders in policy implementation.

ECNC is ready to support

As an independent European biodiversity expertise centre ECNC stimulates the cooperation between science, policy and economy. ECNC has played a central role in developing some of Europe’s most important biodiversity policies, such as the European Community’s Biodiversity Strategy and the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy. Now ECNC wants to move on and help implement these and other policies.

ECNC can provide support by:
• informing and involving stakeholders;
• assisting intergovernmental organizations with expert input;
• strengthening regional initiatives and partnerships in a European perspective;
• increasing awareness of and involvement in biodiversity targets such as the 2010 target;
• training and development of manuals for countries and regions.

For more information contact: ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation
PO Box 90154, 5000 LG, Tilburg, the Netherlands, Tel.: +31-13-5944944, Fax: +31-13-5944945,
Email: Rob Wolters, WWW: www.ecnc.org

European biodiversity expertise centre for sustainable development