Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-10-06-Speech-3-094"
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"en.20101006.12.3-094"2
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".
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, a few days ago, I was sitting down with a group of journalists talking about matters that were particularly close to my heart this autumn. One of these, quite rightly, is biodiversity. As you know, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is shortly to be held in Nagoya, and I have the honour and the pleasure of participating as part of the parliamentary delegation and as co-author of the resolution on biodiversity that will be voted on in Nagoya. So I was sitting talking to the journalists when I was asked why we permit ourselves the luxury of, say, saving the beaver. My home region of Lower Austria has succeeded in saving a species that was threatened with extinction and these have now spread out over a wide area – somewhat to the chagrin of farmers and foresters, whose feelings on the beaver are rather different.
While the European Union and many agencies in the Member States work very hard and with great commitment, supported by NGOs, to protect species, this conversation demonstrated once again that many people see the protection and maintenance of biodiversity as something of a luxury. They ask whether the EU has nothing more pressing with which to concern itself than saving a couple of threatened orchids or animal species. Does it make any difference, people often ask, whether there are 500 or just 499 different animals to gaze at in the zoo? Ladies and gentlemen, for these people, the subject of species preservation and biodiversity is hardly a priority. Let us be honest; the subject of biodiversity is nowhere near as high on the political agenda as topics such as economic growth or security. It should be, however, because we are underestimating the importance of this matter.
The matter of species preservation – and this is my point – is not some kind of charitable institution for a few poor little bugs that we should simply manage to do without. Do not misunderstand me: species preservation is indeed related to a love of flora and fauna, but principally, it concerns security, labour market policy and migration policy. For what is often forgotten in discussions of biodiversity is the role that animals and plants play in our ecosystem. They are nature’s service providers that keep our ecosystem running. It is thanks to the multitude of different species and their interaction with each other that coastlines are not eroded away, that avalanches do not occur, and that bodies of water are self-cleaning. We are talking here about an essential element of sustainable development, with their vital goods and services such as providing food, binding carbon and regulating waters – things that form a basis for economic welfare, social well-being and quality of life. If the species die out, the natural equilibrium is disturbed – triggering a dangerous domino effect. Replacing the services provided by these plants and animals is an expensive business. Eventually, certain regions and habitats become no longer habitable or can no longer be used. As a consequence, these habitats may no longer be able to provide the ecosystem with their valuable goods and services. Not only that; the possible further consequences such as unemployment, lack of security and emigration are things we all fear.
Protecting species is thus quite clearly a matter that affects a number of policy areas. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety emphasised this recently, having worked intensely on ascertaining the position of the European Parliament. I should also like to mention a few figures. Scientists estimate that replacing these natural services and dealing with consequences such as unemployment and migration would cost 7% of gross income worldwide. If that does not astonish you, then here are some more figures. According to the latest study by the European Commission, 25% of European animal species are threatened with extinction. The same study also says that the coastal ecosystems of Europe are constantly being destroyed. Certain regions that have considerable biodiversity are similarly in decline. In contrast, areas of manmade development such as industrial parks, residential developments and transport infrastructure have increased by 8% since 1990.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you will be aware, the actors negotiating in Nagoya do not always agree on what the conference hopes to achieve. Developed countries want strong goals, NGOs want ambitious goals, while – not surprisingly – the economic players are happy with realistic goals. In my opinion, the EU must set the bar high in Nagoya and, just as here in Europe, must work to bring the business community more on board – particularly those sectors and branches of industry that make significant use of biological resources. The EU can decide whether it wants to be a good example or a poor one.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is October already and many people in Europe have not even heard yet that this year has been designated the International Year of Biodiversity. Let us together ensure that biodiversity is given the status that it deserves and that it needs if it is to continue to offer its ecological services in the future. Allow me to repeat an oft-quoted Indian proverb: ‘Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, only then will you find that money cannot be eaten’."@en1
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