A number of more specific conclusions were presented and problems identified. A prerequisite for a succesful biodiversity assessment based upon indicators and target setting is an established baseline. The indicators used must meet a number of criteria e.g. cost-effectiveness, relevance, regional validity etc. The indicators and monitoring system must also be able to identify anthropogenically caused trends from natural variation. The indicators must be acceptable for the users, including the public and possible to understand.
Indices have a doubtful information value - better with a set of direct measurements.
There is an urgent need for further research. A final conclusion was that there is a need for a continous dialogue between scientists and end-users to develop the biodiversity assessment. This should partly be based upon internet communication on research and biodiversity as the experiences up to now are very positive.