The Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy, which was endorsed by ministers from 54 countries in the UN-ECE region on 25 October 1995, provides for the establishment by 2005 of the Pan-European Ecological Network. These Guidelines provide a reference document for all those involved in establishing and managing the network. The document aims to provide a coherent framework for guiding an array of co-operative, decentralised measures which aim to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the ecosystems, habitats, species and landscapes of European importance.
The pace of biodiversity decline is quickening worldwide. Habitat break-up, pollution, over-use of natural areas and the creation of artificial landscapes increase the rate of erosion, while reducing species' opportunity for migration, dispersion and exchange. In 1995, when the European Ministers of the Environment met in Sofia, they launched the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy, so as to strengthen environment and biodiversity conservation policies. The setting up of the Pan-European Ecological Network covering Eurasia was one of the key steps taken under the Strategy. Work has continued on this project, and it is now based on the numerous national, regional and transregional ecological networks being set up throughout Europe.In Kiev, in 2003, the Ministers and heads of delegation noted these positive developments, expressed firm support for the creation of the Pan-European Ecological Network and asked for its constituent parts to be identified and mapped on a pan-European scale.This book looks at the implementation of this Network in the 55 states concerned. It has been written by a team comprising, under the aegis of the Council of Europe, numerous government experts and specialists dealing with the issue of ecological networks. It is intended to reassure Ministers, policy-makers and scientists that they made the right decision in supporting the creation of the Pan-European Ecological Network with a view to (re-)creating a true green infrastructure for Europe.
This report is written within the framework of the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts for the setting up of the Pan-European Ecological Network. It gives an overview of the concept of the ecological network dealing with nature conservation at national and regional levels. In addition, it presents the experiments carried out in 17 European countries and highlights the need to put ecological measures into practice by integrating them into planning policies.
The Pan-European Ecological Network aims to secure the favourable conservation status of the ecosystems, habitats, species and landscapes of importance across Europe. This report reviews the provisions of existing international instruments and proposes priority co-operation action which could support both the development of the network and the implementation of these instruments.
