20 December, Tilburg, Waalwijk

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.

The first meeting, the seminar “Biodiversity works in Brabant” brought together 40 participants from regional and local governments, NGO’s, expertise centres and other stakeholders. The seminar concluded with recommendations on how to increase efforts on local and regional levels to implement the 2010 commitment.

Brabant’s Regional Minister for Nature, Environment and Water, Ms. Annemarie Moons welcomed the results of the meeting and outlined the Province’s policy on biodiversity and sustainable development. At the end of the seminar, the mayor and alderman of environment of the municipality of Waalwijk signed the Countdown 2010 commitment. ECNC’s Executive Director Rob Wolters presented the new brochure “Biodiversity works in Brabant” to Ms. Moons, mayor De Geus and alderman van Groos of Waalwijk, and to Mr. van Hezik, the deputy chairman of the local authorities working group on biodiversity and Countdown 2010.

In the afternoon of 20 December, the first meeting of the above-mentioned working group took place, chaired by Dr. Frank Petter, mayor of Woudrichem. The meeting focussed on priority activities for biodiversity 2010 in Noord-Brabant and decided to combine ambition with practical implementation. The working group will provide an input into the conference “Regions as champions for biodiversity 2010”, which will take in Oisterwijk, Noord-Brabant on 15 and 16 February 2007 and will also call for a high political priority for biodiversity in the light of the Provincial elections in the beginning of next year.