A call for evidence on economics of biodiversity loss

Today the European Commission launched a six-week-long internet-based call for evidence on the economics of biodiversity loss. Following commitments made at the G8+5 meeting of Environment Ministers in Potsdam in March 2007, the Commission is supporting Germany with the preparatory work for a Review on the Economics of Biodiversity Loss.

Release date	16/11/2007
Contributor	spyropoulou
Concerned URL	http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/call_evidence.htm

Last March, the G8+5 ministers endorsed the Postdam Initiative on biodiversity, concluding that it was essential to have an objective assessment of the economic arguments for taking action to halt biodiversity loss.

Several biodiversity policy fields were highligted in The Potsdam Declaration (http://biodiversity-chm.eea.europa.eu/convention/F1125911898/2007-03-18-potsdamer-erklaerung.pdf ) adopted during that meeting.

The Review announced by the European Commission will evaluate the costs of the loss of biodiversity and the associated decline in ecosystem services worldwide. It will consider the failure to take protective measures, versus the costs of effective conservation and sustainable use.

For further background information, text of the call for evidence, and terms of reference for the Review, see:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/call_evidence.htm.