European Union

The purpose of the current report is to provide baseline information to the project staff and partners, to facilitate subsequent working steps, such as stakeholder consultations, climate risk and vulnerability assessments, and the prioritisation of adaptation options. The report has been compiled based on accessible secondary data. In depth stakeholders’ consultations and firsthand data collection were not undertaken as part of the report preparation. It is thus a living document which will be updated throughout the project implementation phase.

There are a number of EU policy areas that could have a direct or indirect impact on nature and biodiversity, and without effective application of cross-compliance principles, conservation efforts cannot be successful. The current publication does not make an attempt to cover all those areas but instead it presents in detail those most relevant to the protection of nature. It covers the concept of Green Infrastructure as an effective approach of combating the increasingly fragmented European landscape.

This publication summarises results for all of Europe's native species of freshwater fishes and lampreys. At least 37% of these species are threatened. Major threats include the over-abstraction of water, which in many cases is further exacerbated by increasing droughts due to climate change, pollution, and the introduction of alien species. Other important threats include overfishing, especially in the large rivers of Eastern Europe and the massive increase in dam constructions which lead to the interruption of stream connectivity and the total alteration of the stream habitats.

This publication summarises results for all of Europe's native freshwater species of mollusc and for a selection of terrestrial mollusc families. About 44% of the freshwater molluscs and 20% of the selected terrestrial molluscs are threatened with extinction at the European level as a result of threats including pollution, dams, and water extraction (mainly for agriculture and drinking purposes) for the freshwater ecosystems and urbanisation, agriculture and recreation activities for the terrestrial molluscs.

One of the main reasons cited for inadequate representation of biodiversity in the development processes is a lack of readily available information on inland water taxa. In response to this need for basic for information on species, the IUCN Species Programme conducted a regional assessment of the status and distribution of 2,261 taxa of freshwater fishes, molluscs, odonates, crabs and selected families of aquatic plants from throughout central Africa. This study is based on the collation and analysis of existing information, and the knowledge of regional experts.

Ce document de référence, réalisé par l'UICN en partenariat avec l'ONERC, fait suite aux actes de la conférence "L'Union européenne et l'Outre-mer: Stratégies face au changement climatique et à la perte de Biodiversité" qui s'est tenue à La Réunion du 7 au 11 juillet 2008. Ce document offre pour la première fois une analyse comparative des 28 collectivités d'outre-mer de l'Union européenne. En première partie, une analyse thématique dévoile les enjeux transversaux des collectivités et leurs menaces communes.

Este documento de referencia, elaborado por la UICN en colaboración con el ONERC sigue el procedimiento de la conferencia de la UICN "La Unión Europea y sus Territorios de Ultramar: Estrategias para hacer frente al Cambio Climático y la Pérdida de la Biodiversidad," tuvo lugar en la Isla de Reunión del 7 al 11 de julio de 2008. El documento ofrece por primera vez un análisis comparativo de las 28 entarget_idades de ultramar de la Unión Europea. Comienza con un análisis temático que presenta las amenazas transversales que supone el cambio climático para las entarget_idades de ultramar.

This background paper, produced by IUCN in collaboration with ONERC, follows the proceedings of the IUCN conference "The European Union and its Overseas Entities: Strategies to Counter Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss", which took place on Reunion Island from 7 to 11 July 2008. The paper offers for the first time a comparative analysis of the 28 overseas entities of the European Union. It starts with a thematic analysis presenting the transversal threats on overseas entities in the face of climate change.

The European Eel Anguilla anguilla is a commercially important species that is threatened with extinction. International trade has been identified as a principal factor in this species's decline. This report aims to provide up to date information on trade in A. anguilla that is essential for conservation and management purposes.