WRITTEN QUESTION E-2100/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Protection of biodiversity by preventing and decreasing climate change

1. Is the Commission aware of the report in Nature, vol 411, pp. 296-298, 17 May 2001, concerning problems caused to pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) by changes in the climate? The reason for this question is that these birds have adjusted to warmer springs in the Netherlands, where they breed after migration from African wintering grounds, by laying their eggs an average of 10 days earlier than their previous point in mid-May, allowing chicks to take advantage of an earlier abundance of insects. However, they have not correspondingly adjusted the timing of their return from Africa. Whereas they used to arrive three weeks before they began laying, giving themselves time to recover from their long journey, they now start laying immediately on arrival. This reduces the number of offspring the birds can rear and may lead to the death of exhausted birds. Scientists consider that climate change is a likely factor in the recent decline in the populations of many migratory species, and that this indicates a possible broader problem, with natural ecological communities being destroyed as the relationship between predators, prey and the wider environment is disrupted.

2. Does the Commission believe these concerns are justified, and if so what action does it intend to take or propose to protect the biodiversity of the territory of the European Union from threats related to climate change?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(17 October 2001)

The Commission is aware of the mounting evidence on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and on its possible long-term consequences. The report in Nature of vol 411, pp.296-298, 17 May 2001 provides valuable additional information on this issue.

Recent studies show that it is possible to detect effects of a changing climate on ecosystems. This suggests that global change is a current threat to conservation and biodiversity and that this threat will become more pronounced in the future. Serious impact can be expected on the distribution of species and habitats and will cause major disruptions on the distribution, composition and dynamics of many ecosystems. Climate change is already one of the causes of coral bleaching around the world with serious direct impact on the biodiversity both of the coral reefs themselves and of some high seas fish whose populations depend on the reefs during parts of their life cycle. This is therefore one of the main reasons why we must address climate change.

Our policy regarding climate change and biodiversity is based on the following elements:

- putting measures in place in line with the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gasses and thus minimise, as far as possible, climate change,

- ensuring that mitigation initiatives taken in the light of the Kyoto Protocol, in particular regarding deforestation, afforestation and reforestation, are conducive to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity,

- integrating biodiversity considerations in the establishment and the implementation of adaptation measures referred to in the Kyoto Protocol, and

- promoting the implementation of Decision IV/15 of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity(1), which calls for closer co-operation with the Framework Convention on Climate Change(2).

(1) http://www.biodiv.org/convention/partners-background.asp?lg=0.

(2) http://www.unfccc.de/.