Conference 'European regions as champions for biodiversity 2010’

Biodiversity forms the basis for our lives and is an important precondition for our well-being. It is the diversity of life on earth. Biodiversity delivers ‘ecosystem services’ such as nutrition, natural flood control, possibilities for recreation and regulation of air quality. Worldwide biodiversity is decreasing rapidly and now the effects of climate change are also kicking-in. These developments affect the very basis of our lives.

The conference aims to result in concrete recommendations on ways and means of putting the European biodiversity 2010 commitments into concrete actions by learning from inspiring examples. The conference may result in the development of informal 'biodiversity 2010 ' networks between European regions, and agreements on interregional biodiversity 2010 projects. The actions may become part of a down to earth and bottom-up interregional European biodiversity programme.

In the late afternoon of 15 February there is a Countdown 2010 signing event, during which new parties will sign the Countdown commitment.

The Countdown 2010 initiative was launched by a partnership of governments and NGO’s to create awareness about the importance of biodiversity and the 2010 target. The Province Noord-Brabant was the first region in the world to joint the Countdown 2010, and many local authorities and other parties followed. A special feature of the conference is the strong involvement of youth in the preparation and the programme of the conference. Together with other youth organisations in Europe, the Dutch National Youth Council explored the meaning and value of biodiversity in Europe in the mind of people. They travelled by train from Den Bosch (The Netherlands) to Sofia (Bulgaria) and made a video impression about what they encountered and learnt about biodiversity. They will present the results during the conference.

The province of Noord-Brabant is the main organizing party and the conference host is Noord-Brabant’s Regional Minister for Environment, Nature and Water, Ms. Annemarie Moons. The conference is co-organized by ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation and B&E (Brabant & Europe Partnership for Sustainability) and auspices is provided by the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and the Countdown 2010 partnership.

Please visit www.biodiversitybrabant.nl for online registration to the conference and more information.

Information for the press:
For members of the press a press meeting will take place around 18.30 hrs on 15 February, immediately after the signing event. If you are interested in participating, we would appreciate if you contact us via biodiversity@brabant.nl