The report “Our life insurance, our natural capital: a Biodiversity Strategy to 2020", drafted by Dutch Liberal Democrat MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (D66, Netherlands), defines concrete steps towards protecting biodiversity in the European Union and globally. The final report will be voted tomorrow in the European Parliament.

The report underscores an integration of biodiversity protection into all relevant EU policies having a potential impact, in particular the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which are currently being reviewed.

It also underlines the economic relevance of biodiversity and the need for sustainable cohesion and regional policy, forestry, energy, transport and industry in order to meet EU´s resource efficiency goals. 

Key points in the report include:

• encouraging investment by innovative sources of financing, in both the public and private sectors,

• incorporating the value of nature in Member States national accounts,    

• improving the effectiveness of agro-environmental measures,

• mobilisation of adequate funding, including the structural and cohesion funds,

• financial support for biodiversity in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2014-2020),

• applying the "no net loss" principle,

• creating several new wild habitat areas in Europe.

The total dependency of our economy and humanity itself on nature justifies the high sense of urgency that should be given to the preservation of nature. Underestimating the long term effects of biodiversity loss would hit back like a boomerang.

Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, European Parliament´s rapporteur and Vice-chairman of the Environment,  Public Health and Food Safety Committee, said:

"The services that nature provides us with, like clean water, clean air, fertile soil, food, is not only crucial for the well being of human kind, it also represents an astronomical economic value. According to economists we lose each year 3% of GDP due to the loss of biodiversity. That means EU €450 billion worth every year. Compared to these figures, investing €5.8 billion per year in Natura 2000 is a bargain! "

"We are currently experiencing the largest loss of species since the dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago. That has to be stopped. By integrating biodiversity protection into all relevant EU policies and by applying the no net loss principle, the EU can halt the destruction of nature. That is a necessity for the well being of future generations and for our economy".

For more information, please contact / Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez contacter:

Corlett Neil - Tel:+32 2 284 20 77 Mob:+32 478 78 22 84

Halko Norbert - Tel:+32 2 284 26 02 Mob:+32 484 75 17 22