Towards European biodiversity monitoring : assessment, monitoring and reporting of conservation status of European habitats and species

The latest IUCN Red List shows that a third of all amphibians, one in eight birds and a quarter of all mammals are under threat globally. Environmental action has to be taken collectively at the international level and the EU has taken a strategic approach across Europe, by implementing the Birds and Habitats Directives. The Directives are the most significant steps so far taken by the EU to meet its own target of “halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010”, and remain vitally important in making progress for conservation at an international level. Monitoring, assessing and reporting the success of this legislation is important. The monitoring exercise presented in this report represents the valuable contribution that NGOs can make towards this work. The European Habitats Forum brings together NGOs working to implement the Directives, and represents a wide range of knowledge and expertise concerning many species and habitat groups as well as experience gained from involvement at the local level. This report could be useful European Institutions and Government Ministries and Agencies in undertaking their own monitoring, assessments and reporting exercises.