S O L U T I O N S
One of the key environmental issues addressed at the Aarhus conference in June was the challenge of preserving and maintaining the diverse ecosystems and varieties of species in Europe. Perhaps the most important concrete step taken toward maintaining this "biodiversity" was the achievement of a coordinated Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS).During discussions about formulating the strategy, ministries called on all participating states, international organisations, NGOs and the private sector to better integrate biodiversity conservation objectives into sectoral policies at both national and international levels particularly in agriculture.
Participants expressed the concern that increased pressure on the relatively unspoiled countryside of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries threatens to further deteriorate this asset, which is vital for Europe as a whole.
Implementing this strategy will require support from a broad range of environmental stakeholders. Already, several organizations have become involved. The International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN), a lead organisation involved in the PEBLDS process, assisted governments in formulating a paper on the integration of biodiversity into agricultural policy.
Furthermore, the joint IUCN- REC Sofia Biodiversity Initiative Programme was set up at the head office of the REC (Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe) in Szentendre, Hungary. The goal of this programme is to contribute to the efforts of CEE countries in the field of biodiversity conservation through the exchange of experience within the Environmental Action Programme for CEE, endorsed in at the Lucerne Conference of Environment Ministers in 1993.
The main Ministerial Declaration of Aarhus acknowledged that new and rapidly implemented actions have been presented by CEE countries under the umbrella of the Sofia Biodiversity Initiative.