EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/109

(2004/C 70 E/110)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2518/03

by Dorette Corbey (PSE) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Transatlantic cooperation on biodiversity conservation

On 25 June 2003 Canada, Mexico and the United States adopted a long-term strategy on North American cooperation in the conservation of biodiversity. In the Communication ‘Biodiversity Action Plan for the Conservation of Natural Resources’ (1), the Commission indicates that action needs to be taken to promote better coordination between different initiatives in the international forums in the field of climate change, ozone layer depletion and desertification to avoid duplication of efforts, in particular with respect to reporting procedures and to identify interactions between the CBD and activities under other existing international agreements in order to optimise the opportunities for synergy.

1. Does the Commission agree with me that the decision by the NAFTA countries provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on biodiversity conservation?

2. Can the Commission indicate if and how it intends to intensify transatlantic cooperation in this area?

3. Does the Commission intend to develop biodiversity indicators in cooperation with the NAFTA countries?

The NAFTA countries also adopted a resolution on the development of indicators of Children's Health and the Environment in North America.

4. How does this resolution overlap with the European Environment and Health Strategy?

5. Does the Commission see room for transatlantic cooperation in developing indicators of children's health and environment?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 2003)

1. and 2. The Commission welcomes the recent adoption of the long-term strategy on North American cooperation in the conservation of biodiversity. It considers that the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the main forum for international cooperation on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The CBD has currently 187 Parties, including the Community, all the Member States and Acceding Countries, Mexico and Canada. The United States has not yet ratified the CBD. The Commission has always supported regional level implementation of the CBD and has a long standing experience in this respect, both at the Union level (see inter alia the Union Biodiversity Strategy (2) and Action Plans (3)) and at Pan-European level in the context of the Council of Europe Pan-European Biodiversity and Landscape Strategy and the Environment For Europe Conferences. The Commission is in principle willing to share its experience with the North American Commission for Environment Cooperation in the context of ongoing transatlantic cooperation.

3. As indicated in the 6th Environment Action Programme, the Commission is actively contributing to the development of biodiversity indicators. For example, the Commission is working with the European Environment Agency on the Biodiversity Implementation Indicators (Bio-IMPs) project which aims at developing and testing biodiversity implementation indicators for the Community in the framework of requirements of the CBD (4). This project consults internationally through the International Working Group of Biodiversity and Monitoring Indicators (IWG-BioMIN). The issue is also subject of intensive work under the CBD involving both European and North American experts (5).

4. The recently adopted ‘European Environment and Health Strategy’ (6) announces the development of harmonised environment and health indicators, with no specific focus on children's environment and health indicators.

5. The ‘European Environment and Health Strategy’ is developed for the enlarged Union, fully involving the Acceding Countries. Given the different situation in America with regard to environment and health, but also because of the lack of human and financial resources, the Commission is not able for the moment to actively co-operate with North America on this particular issue, but it intends to be fully informed about the situation outside Europe.

(1) COM(2001) 162 final.

(2) Communication from the Commission to the Council and to the Parliament on a European Community Biodiversity Strategy, COM(98)42 final, Council Conclusions of 21 June 1998, European Parliament non legislative resolution A4-0347/98.

(3) Communication from the Commission to the Council and the Parliament on Biodiversity Action Plans in the areas of Conservation of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries and Development and Economic Cooperation, COM(2001)162 final; Council Conclusions of 18th June (Fisheries); 19th June (Agriculture); 29th October (Environment); 8th November (Development); European Parliament non legislative resolution A5-0063/2002.

(4) See http://biodiversity-chm.eea.eu.int/convention/cbd_ec/Fl046676334

(5) See http://www.biodiv.org/programmes/cross-cutting/indicators/

(6) COM(2003) 338 final.