According to its Cooperation Agreement with the European Commission, the CoR launches the present consultation to assess the territorial impacts of a
post-2010 biodiversity strategy. This consultation has been conceived and tailored for local and regional authorities, and runs in parallel to a more general and public consultation
launched by the European Commission on this subject matter. Both consultations are complementary and intend to provide invaluable data and information to prepare the final IA which will accompany the EC proposal for a post-2010 Strategy on Biodiversity.
The success of any biodiversity policy is highly dependent on municipalities and regions, many of them having substantial competences to manage biodiversity on their territory and implement their own biodiversity strategies in partnership with other levels of government. Therefore, respondents are asked to provide:
- Data for the economic and social impacts of biodiversity loss;
- Concrete examples of measures to protect biodiversity and nature that have provided quantified environmental, economic and social benefits that outweighed the costs.
This consultation will run from 9 September to 25 October 2010. All contributions received will be forwarded to the European Commission together with a report of the consultation.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT CLOSED
__________________________________________________________________
Useful documents:
The 2010 Spring European Council underlined the need to reverse continuing trends of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. The European Council stated its commitment to the long term biodiversity 2050 vision and the 2020 target set out in the
Environment Council's conclusions of 15 March 2010: "[…] halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss". The Environment Council thereby agreed on the most ambitious option (option 4) set out in the Commission Communication
"Options for an EU vision and target for biodiversity beyond 2010" adopted in January 2010, COM (2010) 4.
To deliver on this biodiversity target, a new EU strategy is to be developed by end 2010, taking into account international deliberations on the global biodiversity policy framework.
In its opinion on "
EU and international biodiversity policy beyond 2010", the CoR has already expressed the main elements it would like the new EU strategy to focus on
[1]. In this opinion, the CoR stressed the importance of involving all actors and local stakeholders concerned in the policy development and implementation according to a real model of multilevel governance.
In addition, it underlined that, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle, the Strategy should include a territorial dimension and allow existing initiatives, at local and regional level in particular, to be integrated into a coherent framework. It also noted that protection of biodiversity and ecosystems services is a cross cutting theme requiring a systemic approach whereby all different actors at all levels have to work together. Finally, it urged the European Commission to maximise the benefits of EU funding.
__________________________________________________________
[1] CdR 112/2000, rapporteur Ms Linda Gillham (UK/EA)
