The variety of wildlife is vital to both the planet and its human inhabitants. However, scientists have alerted us that the biodiversity of our planet is in crisis.  One out of eight million species[1] globally are threatened with extinction, mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation, unsustainable agriculture and climate change.  This year's EUROPA Stamp theme "endangered national wildlife" gives European postal operators the opportunity to showcase the threatened species in their country.  Hence, PostEurop is proud to launch the 2021 most beautiful EUROPA stamps competition, to further bring awareness on the topic to our audiences by depicting some of the most affected species in Europe, on beautiful stamp sheets.

Whether we are talking about climate change, forest fires, or man-made interventions in natural habitats, in recent years wildlife has been paying an extremely high toll. The European Red List[i] includes more and more species that are threatened with extinction in Europe. As concerns grow, and the need for more sustainable development becomes a key topic on the global political agenda, it is extremely important for European postal operators to help raise awareness and lend a hand to prevent the extinction of as many of these species as possible. 

According to the recent figures by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 2,887 species out of 15,167 assessed European species are threatened with extinction.

"Europe's species are facing unprecedented pressures. From overexploitation of our natural resources and habitat destruction, to accelerating climate change, many of our plants and animals are being pushed to the brink of extinction. Europe must quickly act to effectively protect our native species and facilitate the recovery of those which are endangered. IUCN welcomes the EUROPA stamps competition as an initiative highlighting to European citizens what is at stake if we fail to act," said Luc Bas, Director of IUCN European Regional Office.

Each postal operator has selected the species linked to their country. Featured motifs include the fast-declining European mink (Mustela lutreola), the Mediterranean subpopulation of Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) which has declined by more than 50% over the last 30-45 years, and the Critically Endangered Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus). Motifs incorporate special artistic features to further emphasise the critical nature of the threat.

"Biodiversity in Europe cannot be placed under a price tag. The richness present in the vast variety of Europe's ecosystems has directly helped European society to evolve throughout centuries. We owe future generations the possibility of being a part of this evolution process and the chance to continue enjoying these same ecosystems; we can do this by preserving these ecosystems and the biodiversity they sustain. We believe that this year, EUROPA Stamps will help raise public awareness of the species that are facing the highest risk of extinction. An image can be more powerful than one thousand words, therefore I am sure that the beautiful motifs will bring a strong visual impact. We also hope that this EUROPA theme will be able to reach enthusiasts' hearts in a way that will help associations who support wildlife and promote biodiversity to gather new support for their cause" said Agnieszka Trząskowska, Chair of the PostEurop Stamps & Philately Working Group.   

PostEurop is therefore inviting all postal fans and philatelic enthusiasts to join us in this awareness campaign and promote this year's beautiful entries featuring "endangered national wildlife". You can cast a vote for your favourite stamp of this 2021 EUROPA Stamps Competition, on www.posteurop.org/europa2021.

View and Vote for Your Favourite EUROPA Stamp Today

We invite you to view all the beautiful entries and vote for your favourite stamp on www.posteurop.org/europa2021. The online competition will end on 9 September 2021 and the winning stamps will be announced at the PostEurop Plenary Assembly to be held in October 2021.