Table 9.15 - Global, European and regional initiatives for nature conservation
Source: IUCN
Title | Secretariat/focal point | Aim/comment |
---|---|---|
Pan-European | ||
Berne Convention (1979) | Council of Europe | To provide international obligations for the conservation of European flora and fauna and their natural habitats |
The European Network of Biogenetic Reserves | Council of Europe | Chosen as representative examples of Europe's natural heritage |
European Diploma | Council of Europe | Awards for good examples of protected areas |
Environment Programme for Europe | UN/ECE, EC, UNEP, IUCN et al | To prepare the intergovernmental environment programme for Europe |
EuroMAB | EuroMAB, c/o UNESCO | To provide a European network for international scientific cooperation, especially on biosphere reserves |
European Nature Conservation Year (ENCY) 1995 | Council of Europe | To develop a campaign in 1995 for conservation |
European Community | ||
Fifth Environmental Action Programme (1992) | European Commission DG XI | The European Community's programme of policy and action on environment and sustainable development |
Bird Directive (79/409/EEC) | European Commission DG XI | To protect wild birds and their habitats, including through Special Protection Areas |
CORINE | European Commission DG XI / European Environment Agency | To develop a database for nature conservation in the EC, now being extended in part to the rest of Europe |
Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) | European Commission DG XI | To conserve fauna, flora and natural habitats of Community importance |
Natura 2000 | European Commission DG XI | The network of protected areas set up under the Bird and Habitats Directives |
Central and Eastern Europe | ||
Ecological Bricks for our Common House of Europe | Initiative for Ecological Bricks, c/o WWF-Austria | To promote the establishment of 24 transboundary protected areas |
Green Lungs of Europe, 1993 | Institute of Sustainable Development, Warsaw | Based on Poland's experience, to create sustainable development zones (Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine) |
Arctic | ||
Arctic Initiative | Working Group on the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna | To prepare a common Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy |
Nordic Arctic Conference | c/o Nordic Council of Ministers | Environmental protection |
Baltic Sea | ||
Helsinki Convention, 1974, 1992 | HELCOM, Helsinki | To improve the quality of the Baltic environment, including through marine and coastal protected areas |
The Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive | ||
Environmental Action Programme | ||
Black Sea | ||
Black Sea Action Plan (BSAP) | UNEP, UNDP, GEF and others | Environmental management programme for the Black Sea |
Bucharest Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution, 1992 | Interim Secretariat, Istanbul | |
North Sea | ||
Convention for the Protection of the NE Atlantic | OsloParis Commission, London | To prevent pollution of the northeast Atlantic |
Ministerial Conference on the North Sea | Secretariat in Ministry of Environment, Denmark | |
Mediterranean | ||
Mediterranean Action Plan | UNEP-Europe, Geneva (Regional centres in Athens,Valbonne, Tunis, Malta and Split) | To improve the quality of the Mediterranean environment under the Barcelona Convention, 1976, including through a protocol on Specially Protected Areas |
MedSPA | European Commission DG XI | To protect the Mediterranean environment, including protection of biotopes |
MED-PAN | EIB/World Bank | To strengthen links between managers of protected areas |
MedWet | Various | To conserve Mediterranean wetlands |
Mediterranean Technical Assistance Programme (METAP) | World Bank/EIB | 2nd Phase of European Programme for the Mediterranean (EPM), to reverse present environmental degradation |
Nicosia Charter (1990) | European Community | To provide closer cooperation on sustainable development in the Euro-Mediterranean region, including on nature conservation |
Others | ||
Alpine Convention 1991 | c/o CIPRA, Vaduz | Conservation of the Alps |
Black Triangle Regional Programme, 1992 | Programme Coordination Unit, Ústi nad Labem, Czech Republic | Environmental protection for the very polluted CzechGerman Polish border zone |
Danube River Basin Programme, 1991 | European Commission DG XI | Environmental protection for the Danube |
International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine against Pollution (ICPRP) |   | |
Joint Declaration on the Protection of the Wadden Sea | Common Secretariat for the Cooperation on the Protection of the Wadden Sea, Wilhelmshaven | Trilateral cooperation between The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany |
Conservation of Migratory Wild Animal Species, including West Palaearctic Flyway Agreement | Convention Bureau, Bonn |   |