Public Hearing: “Investing in nature and biodiversity: challenges and opportunities” – European Parliament, October 12, 2015

EUROPARC President, Ignace Schops, will be today at the European Parliament participating at a public hearing regarding Nature and Biodiversity.

Schops will highlight  The socio-economic opportunities of investing in nature & biodiversity, based on data from the mid-term report of EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 and on the work EUROPARC has been doing to address the challenges of Protected Areas management.

EUROPARC Federation is introduced to the Parliament as the biggest network on the natural heritage in Europe, with over 30 million hectares (38%) of Natura 2000 areas being managed by its members.

Download below the full speech of our President.

The mid-term review of the Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 describes progress made in implementing the actions and achieving the targets set out in the strategy adopted in 2011. The report demonstrates that action on the ground, supported by adequate financing, can protect and restore nature and the benefits it provides. The Mid-term review of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 was adopted on the 2nd October.

The  mid-term review takes stock of progress in implementing the EU biodiversity strategy against the 2010 baseline. It aims to inform decision-makers of areas in which increased efforts are needed to meet the EU biodiversity objectives by 2020.

You can access the report here, and at BISE website (The Biodiversity Information System for Europe) it is also available an interactive presentation and a leaflet.

More than 160 people attended the bi-annual staff meeting of all Austrian National Parks, this year held at Hohe Tauern National Park, a beautiful transnational park in the provinces of Carinthia, Slzburg and Tyrol.  

During two days, rangers, park administrators and office members from 6 Austrian National Parks had the opportunity to exchange experiences, network and participate in workshops. Wilderness, education and volunteering in Parks were some of the themes discussed. 

This annual meetings are lead by National Parks Austria, the umbrella organisation of all national parks in the country. During the meeting it was also discussed the role of National Parks Austria in promoting parks. Mr. Günter Liebel, chief of the environmental section of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) envisions:

National Parks Austria will in future play an even more central role in the work of the protected areas. Only through experience and knowledge, the challenges for nature conservation in practice can be met in the future.

For more information please contact:

National Parks Austria,  Mrs. Agnes Erler 0676/ 324 22 11 www.nationalparksaustria.at

Hohe Tauern Kärnten National Park , Mr. Elfriede Oberdorfer, 0664/ 620 23 95  www.hohetauern.at

“Steps in setting up wood biomass production chains in protected areas”

In the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe, under the project BioEuParks, the Slovenian Forestry Institute launched a comprehensive manual about how to establish a wood biomass production chain, which intends to help parks administration on their decision-making process.  It introduces different options for the supply chain and identifies data and information needed before taking the final decision.

To consider the parks as main actors in a biomass supply chain means to invest in a process based on the respect for nature, and the preservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity as starting points. At the same time, this choice implies a new way of looking at the role of parks; not only as a body in charge of managing natural and protected areas, but also a key actor with the ability to trigger a new way of local development matching nature conservation, and social and economic growth.

Download the guide here and check the project’s website.