C 67/28
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
8.2.2022
Wednesday 9 June 2021
D.
whereas 2021 will be a decisive year for biodiversity and whereas the COP15 should be a Paris Agreement moment for biodiversity; whereas the COP15 and the COP26 of the UNFCCC provide a unique opportunity to switch from a reactive model to a proactive, precautionary model and to bring about the transformative changes needed;
E.
whereas the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 is one of the key initiatives of the European Green Deal; whereas the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Farm to Fork Strategy, together with other policies, will shape change to protect nature and conserve habitats and species;
F.
whereas the evidence available suggests that it is not too late to halt and reverse current trends in the decline of biodiversity (18); whereas this will require substantial changes;
G.
whereas humans are part of nature and whereas nature has intrinsic value; whereas biodiversity is an integral part of the world’s heritage;
H.
whereas extinction of species is permanent, threatening ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services, and posing a threat to human well-being and survival; whereas the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared 160 species to be extinct over the last decade alone;
I.
whereas according to the IPBES, 90 % of land is projected to be significantly altered by 2050 and 75 % of land has already been significantly altered; whereas 85 % of wetland areas have already been lost;
J.
whereas biodiversity is crucial for food security, human well-being and development worldwide;
K.
whereas the EU must seize the opportunities to incorporate the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic into its policies and objectives;
L.
whereas 70 % of emerging diseases and pandemics have an animal origin (19); whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that practices that place biodiversity under pressure can lead to increased risks to human and animal health;
M.
whereas the destruction of natural habitats and wildlife trade increases contact between humans and wildlife and will be an important factor in the future emergence and spread of viral diseases (20);
N.
whereas biodiversity makes a positive contribution to human health; whereas up to 80 % of the medicines used by humans are of natural origin (21);
O.
whereas the EU has more protected areas than any other region of the world (22); whereas the current network of legally protected areas, including those under strict protection, is not sufficient to safeguard biodiversity (23);
(18) (19)
Global Biodiversity Outlook 5.
Daszak, P. et al., Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Bonn, 2020. Ibid.
Durant, O., Natural Medicine: Past to Present, University College of London, London, 2018.
EEA report of 23 November 2020 entitled ‘An introduction to Europe’s Protected Areas’.
Management effectiveness in the EU’s Natura 2020 network of protected areas.
(20) (21) (22) (23)