Konstantin Kreiser, BirdLife representative, shared his findings acquired while working on the midterm evaluation of the BirdLife EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020. He acknowledged that it is still possible to reach the goals set in the strategy, provided that we focused on a better EU nature legislation implementation, restoration of ecosystems, species and habitats and made serious „changes to the course” regarding the common agriculture policy in order to foster reaching of the goals of the biodiversity.
When closing the conference and summing up the intense two-day discussions, parties came to an agreement that significant improvements are needed regarding EU nature legislation implementation. EU Birds and Habitats directives ensure firm foundation for species and habitats protection, however if the directives will not be implemented more actively, biodiversity will continue to reduce. Agriculture policy reform has not reached the goals set, and agriculture is continuously among the industries that are endangering biodiversity and potential of which is not being used for biodiversity preservation.
In order to improve the directive implementation, specific actions are requisite, transformation of the old and introduction of new financing mechanisms is essential.
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and EC affirmed that organizing of the conference was a part of the EU society survey regarding the midterm evaluation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020, and that conference conclusions will be taken into account when preparing the evaluation, due to be published in October 2015.
For further dialogue started in the conference between state and non-governmental sectors, Kaspars Gerhards, Minister of the Environmental Protection and Regional Development, met with the Board Members of the European Environment Bureau to discuss current issues relating Latvian Presidency and works for the forthcoming months. In order to preserve nature and to acknowledge indispensability of the European Union nature capital, Latvian Presidency has undertaken to deliver the conference conclusions over and to foster their implementation.
Conference video: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodeDt40MJHL_C-Zs_QmiEMKBHjoYmyQJ
Information prepared within the project "Non-governmental sector participation in the international conference" EU Biodiversity strategy implementation "" financed by Latvian national budget-funded program "Support for public participation in the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union implementation" and administered by the Society Integration Foundation.
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