WRITTEN QUESTION No. 242/98 by María ESTEVAN BOLEA to the Commission. Biological diversity
Date: 1998-02-13
Institutions: ESTEVAN BOLEA, European Parliament
Subjects: European Environment Agency, biodiversity, degradation of the environment, ecosystem, environmental protection, protected area, protected species, protection of animal life, protection of plant life

C 386/8

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.98

(98/C 386/010)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0241/98

by Mar(cid:237)a Estevan Bolea (PPE) to the Commission

(13 February 1998)

Subject: Biological diversity

What arrangements has the Commission made to ensure that all its various departments are involved in the
process of drawing up the EU(cid:146)s Biological Diversity Strategy?

(98/C 386/011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0242/98

by Mar(cid:237)a Estevan Bolea (PPE) to the Commission

(13 February 1998)

Subject: Biological diversity

The Commission is drawing up a strategy on European biological diversity. In its preparations for such a task, did
it carry out any of the following?

› An analysis of the current situation of European biological diversity.

› An analysis of the distribution of flora and fauna species and their biotypes.

› An analysis of the concentration of protected species.

› An analysis of the factors which constitute a threat.

› An analysis of the protective measures required.

› An analysis of the activities which may be undertaken around the areas to be protected.

If the Commission has carried out the studies, inventories and projects necessary to answer the above question,
are they available and is it possible to gain access to them?

If they do not actually exist, could the Commission say how it has drawn up its biological diversity strategy?

Joint answer to Written Questions
E-0237/98, E-0238/98, E-0239/98, E-0240/98, E-0241/98 and E-0242/98
given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(31 March 1998)

The Commission adopted on 4 February 1998 a communication to the Council and to the Parliament on a
Community biodiversity strategy (1). This strategy defines a framework for actions to achieve integration of
biodiversity concerns in relevant Community policy areas.

In the development of this strategy, the Commission has considered the background information contained in the
(cid:145)First report on the implementation of the Convention on biological diversity (CBD) by the European
Community(cid:146) (2). This report includes a summary assessment on the importance and status of biodiversity in
the Community based on information provided by the European environmental agency (EEA) and other
organizations and institutions. This includes, inter alia, information contained in the EEA(cid:146)s (cid:145)Dobris Assessment(cid:146)
and Corine-biotopes database, in recent and forthcoming publications about the threats to biodiversity in Europe,
and information emerging from legal proceedings opened by the Commission during recent years. In addition, all
this provides a substantial amount of information about the distribution of species of flora and fauna, habitats of
protected species, threats to them and protection measures required, including those to take place around
protected areas.

Therefore, measures contained in the Community biodiversity strategy are based on the best factual information
available.