The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published the European Environment State and Outlook 2015 (SOER 2015). This article focuses on the online briefing on biodiversity and puts it into a context with Horizon 2020.
In 2010, the UN adopted the 20 Aichi Biodiversity targets, followed by a European Biodiversity Strategy (2011-2020) which should reinforce concrete measures to hold biodiversity loss in the EU and globally.
SOER 2015 shows a clear negative trend for the protection of species and habitats in Europe: 60% of species and 77% of habitats in Europe continue to be in unfavourable conservation status. An overview of the conservation status of animals, plants and habitats is included in the report. Positive developments are observed concerning the expansion of the NATURA 2000 network of protected habitats: 18% for EU land and 4% increase for marine waters.
As main threats to biodiversity the report mentions the loss of habitats, pollution of European waters and farmland, the over- exploitation of natural resources, the existence of more than 12 000 alien invasive species and the effects of climate change. Considerable pressures on biodiversity come from different sectors and policies like agriculture, fisheries, forestry, energy, tourism, transport, industry, regional and cohesion policies. Therefore a mainstreaming of biodiversity aspects into these areas is recommended in the report.
Horizon 2020 context:
Biodiversity is part of the specific programme of Societal Challenge 5 “Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials” in the research framework programme Horizon 2020. The ERA-Net BIODIVERSA, which has been funded in FP7, will continue to receive funding from Horizon 2020. A first call will be launched in May 2015 for the following topics:
Theme 1: Understanding and managing the biodiversity dynamics of soils and sediments to improve ecosystem functioning and delivery of ecosystem services
Theme 2: Understanding and managing biodiversity dynamics in land-, river- and sea-scapes (habitat connectivity, green and blue infrastructures, and naturing cities) to improve ecosystem functioning and delivery of ecosystem services
The deadline is planned for early November 2015.
Further information:
Europäische Biodiversitätsstrategie
Contact at KoWi for Societal Challenge 5
Photo: EEA
Source: EU Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi), Bonn Office, Active Information Service (AiD) of 16.03.2015The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published the European Environment State and Outlook 2015 (SOER 2015). This article focuses on the online briefing on biodiversity and puts it into a context with Horizon 2020.
In 2010, the UN adopted the 20 Aichi Biodiversity targets, followed by a European Biodiversity Strategy (2011-2020) which should reinforce concrete measures to hold biodiversity loss in the EU and globally.
SOER 2015 shows a clear negative trend for the protection of species and habitats in Europe: 60% of species and 77% of habitats in Europe continue to be in unfavourable conservation status. An overview of the conservation status of animals, plants and habitats is included in the report. Positive developments are observed concerning the expansion of the NATURA 2000 network of protected habitats: 18% for EU land and 4% increase for marine waters.
As main threats to biodiversity the report mentions the loss of habitats, pollution of European waters and farmland, the over- exploitation of natural resources, the existence of more than 12 000 alien invasive species and the effects of climate change. Considerable pressures on biodiversity come from different sectors and policies like agriculture, fisheries, forestry, energy, tourism, transport, industry, regional and cohesion policies. Therefore a mainstreaming of biodiversity aspects into these areas is recommended in the report.
Horizon 2020 context:
Biodiversity is part of the specific programme of Societal Challenge 5 “Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials” in the research framework programme Horizon 2020. The ERA-Net BIODIVERSA, which has been funded in FP7, will continue to receive funding from Horizon 2020. A first call will be launched in May 2015 for the following topics:
Theme 1: Understanding and managing the biodiversity dynamics of soils and sediments to improve ecosystem functioning and delivery of ecosystem services
Theme 2: Understanding and managing biodiversity dynamics in land-, river- and sea-scapes (habitat connectivity, green and blue infrastructures, and naturing cities) to improve ecosystem functioning and delivery of ecosystem services
The deadline is planned for early November 2015.
Further information:
Europäische Biodiversitätsstrategie
Contact at KoWi for Societal Challenge 5
Photo: EEA
Source: EU Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi), Bonn Office, Active Information Service (AiD) of 16.03.2015