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EUROPEAN PLANT CONSERVATION STRATEGY SAVING THE PLANTS OF EUROPE CBD 1 EUROPEAN PLANT CONSERVATION STRATEGY Spring in Andalucia, Spain, on the edge of the Sierra de las Nieves EUROPEAN PLANT CONSERVATION STRATEGY Acknowledgements NATURAL IMAGE/BOB GIBBONS This joint Council of Europe and Planta Europa Biodiversity Programme, the Council of Europe, Planta Europa European Plant Conservation Strategy was the Czech Ministry for the Environment, the Planta Europa is a developing network of developed at the third Planta Europa conference Department of Environment, Food and Rural organisations (government and non-government) for the conservation of wild plants held 23-28 Affairs DEFRA (UK)*, English Nature, Euro+Med working for plant conservation in Europe. June 2001 in Pruº honice in the Czech Republic. Plantbase, the Finnish Environment Ministry, The ultimate mission of this network is to Special thanks go to the facilitators at this Species Survival Commission of the World conserve European wild plants, both higher and conference: Christoph Imboden (chief Conservation Union (IUCN), the Ministry of lower, and their habitats. Plantlife International facilitator), Colin Bibby,Anne Harley, Martin Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, hosts the Planta Europa Secretariat.Website: Harper, Mira Mileva,Anna Kalinowska, Elizabeth Department of Nature Management (the www.plantaeuropa.org Radford, Johan Samuelsson, Susanne Schmitt, Netherlands), Plantlife, the Royal Academy of Council of Europe Michael Scott, Bert van den Wollenberg; and to Agriculture and Forestry, Sweden, the Royal The Council of Europe is an intergovernmental all 159 delegates from 38 countries who Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), organisation which aims: participated in developing the Strategy. Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Swedish • to protect human rights, pluralist democracy Species Information Unit at the Swedish The Strategy was edited by Jane Smart, and the rule of law; University of Agricultural Sciences. Christoph Imboden, Martin Harper and Elizabeth • to promote awareness and encourage the Radford. Hugh Synge prepared the long term Comments on this Strategy should be development of Europe’s cultural identity and European action points. Further editing took forwarded to: diversity; place by an editing committee including Eladio Elizabeth Radford, Planta Europa Secretariat • to seek solutions to problems facing European Fernandez-Galiano, Jan-Willem Sneep,Adrian Plantlife, 21 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W society (discrimination against minorities, Darby and Tessa Hetherington.The Strategy is 9RP, United Kingdom xenophobia, intolerance, environmental based upon contributions from the delegates at Tel. +44 20 7808 0106 protection, human cloning,AIDS, drugs, organised the third Planta Europa conference, the Fax +44 20 7730 8377 crime etc.); European expert meeting in preparation for E-mail [email protected] • to help consolidate democratic stability in SBSTTA/VII, the Standing Committee of the Bern Europe by backing political, legislative and Convention and various European conservation constitutional reform. organisations consulted following the Any European state can become a member of conference. the Council of Europe provided it accepts the The Planta Europa Network and Plantlife wishes principle of the rule of law and guarantees to acknowledge the financial and/or technical human rights and fundamental freedoms to support of the following organisations: the everyone under its jurisdiction.Website: Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape www.coe.int Protection of the Czech Republic (AOPK C˘ R), BirdLife International, the Bulgarian Swiss Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the v Czech Republic (AOPK CR). The Czech Ministry for the Environment DEFRA is not responsible for the contents or opinions expressed in this publication, its sponsorship should not be taken as endorsement of any such contents or opinions. 5 EUROPEAN PLANT CONSERVATION STRATEGY CONTENTS NIGEL HICKS/WOODFALL WILD IMAGES Epiphytic ferns growing at the base of a Giant Banyan tree, Jianfengling Nature Reserve, Hainan Island, China Page 8-11 Pages 12-13 Page 14-15 Page 16-17 Messages of support Heritage,Youth and The European Plant The Plant Conservation Understanding and Sport of the Council Conservation Strategy - Imperative documenting plant Dr Jan Plesnik, Chairman of Europe Dr Jane Smart diversity of SBSTTA, Advisor to Executive Director, the Planta Europa Dr Torleif Ingelög, Planta Europa Network and Deputy Director, Swedish Director, Agency for Species Information Nature Conservation Unit, President of and Landscape Planta Europa Protection of the Czech Prof Dr Margarita Republic, Prague Clemente, European Mr Bendik Rugaas, Representative, CITES Director General, Plants Committee Directorate of HRH Prince of Wales Education Culture and 6 Page 18-29 Page 30-31 Page 32-33 Page 34-35 Page 36-39 Conserving plant Using plant biodiversity Promoting education Building capacity for Appendix 1 diversity sustainably and awareness about the conservation of The policy and plant diversity plant diversity legislative framework for plant conservation Appendix 2 Planta Europa operational principles Appendix 3 Acronyms Appendix 4 Organisations represented at the third Planta Europa conference 7 EUROPEAN PLANT CONSERVATION STRATEGY Messages of support for the strategy Joining forces for plant protection What you have in your hands today is the beginning of a tremendous partnership Where have all the flowers gone? In the last between the Planta Europa Network and decades the intensification of agriculture, the the Council of Europe. It is a strategic spread of cities and the deep change of natural response to the diminishing wild plant habitats have taken a heavy toll on European diversity in Europe; a framework for flora.We have lost much of the variety and activities to halt and eventually reverse colour of the countryside and many plants of this decline. our continent have become threatened with The Conference of the Parties, at its extinction.The Council of Europe reacted to The challenge we face to halt the destruction sixth meeting, will consider the the loss of plant biological diversity in the late of European plant diversity is huge, as huge establishment of a global strategy for seventies, when it adopted the Convention on today as it was seven years ago, when a group plant conservation (Decision V/10) to the Conservation of European Wildlife and of organisations and individuals came together halt the current and continuing Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) that at to form the Planta Europa Network. I am unacceptable loss of plant diversity. present binds thirty-nine European states and proud to say that the Network has grown the European Community.The Convention and risen to this challenge.This Strategy is The present document by Planta Europa and has become a European forum for discussion testament to the commitment and willingness the Council of Europe has been developed of plant conservation problems at the of European conservationists to actively as a contribution to, and part of, the proposed intergovernmental level, and a framework for support Planta Europa and to work together Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, positive action.Yet governments alone cannot to see its mission become reality. Now with the submitted to COP6 (UNEP/CBD/COP/6/12/ do the immense and noble task to care for establishment of the Planta Europa Secretariat, ADD3). It was developed at the third Planta European flora: botanic gardens, scientific the Important Plant Areas programme and the Europa European conference on the institutions, non-governmental organisations launch of official membership it is evident that conservation of wild plants, held in June 2001 in and other interested actors, such as foresters Planta Europa is going from strength to strength. Pruº honice, Czech Republic, and consists of long and farmers, need also to be involved if these term policy directions and a set of medium We are still however, near the beginning of our efforts are to succeed.That is why the Council term clear targets produced through a journey to safeguard the wild plants of Europe. of Europe united forces with Planta Europa, participatory process. It was refined after This Strategy gives us a clear route to follow to jointly produce this very comprehensive SBSTTA 7. through the difficult territory ahead.The next “European Plant Conservation Strategy” step for Planta Europa, with the help of the As one of the delegates at the conference I can aiming to stop any further loss of plant diversity governments of the Council of Europe, is to testify that the 159 delegates from 38 European in Europe.This strategy is part of a much more start to implement the Strategy and deliver countries worked extremely hard to produce ambitious initiative at world level under the some of the major tasks. If the spirit of the the targets. Convention on Biological Diversity and I invite third Planta Europa Conference continues into all governments and interested organisations I urge the Parties to the CBD at COP 6 to our plant conservation work, I am sure that by to follow the recommendations of the Standing note that the targets produced are clear, our next conference in Valencia in 2004 there Committee of the Bern Convention, support realistic and measurable, and that they have will be further significant progress to report. this strategy and implement it at the national been