First Report on the implementation of the convention on biological diversity by the European Community

Summary:

The European Community is a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (often known as the Biodiversity Convention), which was signed in Rio in June 1992. The aims of the Biodiversity Convention are to conserve biodiversity, to use it sustainably, and to ensure fair and equitable distribution of benefits resulting from the exploitation of genetic resources.

The European Community actively pursues a policy of ensuring that environmental protection requirements are integrated into the definition and implementation of other Community policies. The European Community's approach to implementing the Biodiversity Convention has been pursued in the context of the fifth environmental action programme entitled 'Towards sustainability', which sets targets for the period from 1993 to 2000. Integration of environmental considerations into five target sectors identified in the programme has made progress, but at varying speeds — it is generally most advanced in the manufacturing sector, and least apparent in agriculture and tourism.

The link between the Community's nature legislation and the Community's agricultural policy (the common agricultural policy (CAP)) still needs to be strengthened, and trends indicate continued growth in air and road transport with possible negative implications for biodiversity. The fifth environmental action programme is currently under review, with the aim of ensuring efficient implementation up to the year 2000.