IEEP newsletter - spring 2010
How much for biodiversity? - MEPs join the debate
On 7 April, the Greens and the European Free Alliance (EFA) in the European Parliament organised a stakeholder workshop to discuss the future of EU biodiversity policy, in particular nature’s role in maintaining human welfare and economic wellbeing. The event, hosted by Sandrine Bélier MEP, coordinator of the Greens’ campaign on the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, gathered a wide range of participants from the EU institutions.
Marianne Kettunen from IEEP opened the event with a keynote speech on the economics of biodiversity, focusing in particular on the findings of the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative (www.teebweb.org). Economic valuation could play a significant role in global and EU biodiversity policy, for example by increasing political and public support for conservation. However, putting a monetary value on nature should not be seen as an end in itself but rather a tool for supporting more sustainable decision-making.
At the workshop the Commission confirmed that aspects related to the socio-economic value of biodiversity were to play an integral role in EU biodiversity policy beyond 2010. This has also been endorsed by the European Council in its conclusions of 15 March, adopting the post-2010 vision to protect, value and restore biodiversity in the EU, also for the purpose of human wellbeing and economic prosperity.
The European Parliament workshop on the value of biodiversity was the first in a series of events taking place to mark the International Year of Biodiversity 2010. The next event on 6 May is entitled ‘Taste biodiversity: How biodiversity is feeding the world’, and other forthcoming events will focus on the future of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (June 2010) and biodiversity and climate change (October 2010). See: www.greens-efa.org for more details.
Contact: Marianne Kettunen