Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy

Editor's note 21Mar13: Source D141 (common sections), D241, D341.

Status and aims

The development of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS) was initiated by the Council of Europe in 1994 aiming to provide a single, coherent framework for promoting a consistent approach to European implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The PEBLDS has produced several notable achievements, including a raised level of biodiversity conservation awareness in Europe and EU biodiversity policy.

PEBLDS strives to stop the decline and ensure the sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity within Europe by 2016. As an international, cooperative framework, the Strategy is intended to support and extend existing conservation schemes and programmes.

Further objectives include strengthening Europe's ecological coherence via the creation and management of the Pan-European Ecological Network extending beyong the EU's Natura 2000 network.

Finally, the Strategy aims to integrate the above objectives into all relevant social and economic sectors affecting or responsible for managing European diversity, recognising that to do so, public involvement, awareness and knowledge of conservation issues need to be increased, particularly in the agriculture sector.

Structure and components

The Strategy encompasses general principles, detailed provisions for the 1996-2016 period, an 'Action Plan on Biological and Landscape Diversity' and internal review and assessment.

Strategy actions are carried out in five year action plans, encompassing specific goals in line with CBD and national biodiversity strategies. The review process is coordinated by the Council of Europe and a pan-European Task Force

The PEBLDS does not have independent financial resources and relies on voluntary contributions from governments, UNEP, the Council of Europe and NGO's to cover select small-scale activities.

Implementation

All 56 UN/ECE (Economic Commission for Europe) countries, including Greece, Italy and Spain, have endorsed the PEBLDS.

Implementation is overseen by the Strategy bodies and council as well as its Bureau, national members, regional groups and the Joint Strategy Secretariat of Council of Europe, UNEP and other national and international organizations. To avoid duplicating the efforts of other relevant initiatives and policies, no official national reports are required to be submitted under the Strategy. Instead, national reports are based on the reporting requirements of the CBD.

The PEBLDS is a strategy with limited obligations and financial instruments for Parties involved. Nevertheless, its contribution to raising awareness and its influence upon EU biodiversity policy, including high-nature-value areas, restoration and green infrastructure, has been most significant and has prompted the adoption of EU biodiversity targets beyond those set by the CBD. Such awareness is essential in order to combat land degradation: the latter is not limited to small sites but needs to addressed on broader scales

However, it should be noted that land degradation and desertification is not a core issue of the PEBLDS. Emphasis is laid on the protection of biodiversity and the prevention of landscape degradation, the latter being regarded as an instrument for biodiversity protection.

In this context, the vital role played by agriculture in supporting biological diversity and managing landscapes and semi-natural habitats is highlighted. Specific goals include encouraging the sound management of agricultural land, supporting organic farming methods and reducing fertilizers and pesticide use.

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