19 Dec 2019 Intergroup “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside” approved
Brussels, 19 December 2019 – More than 130 MEPs supported the re-establishment of the European Parliament Intergroup “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside”. Sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation are high on the agenda of EU citizens, including Europe’s landowners & managers, hunters, as well as the newly elected European Parliament.
Following the announcement of the European Commission’s new EU Green Deal in the European Parliament, the Conference of Presidents approved the list of the Parliamentary Intergroups for its next mandate. The “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside” Intergroup was one of those approved, out of a very long list of proposals. The re-establishment of this Intergroup gives a strong political signal from the Members of the European Parliament to support key activities in Europe’s rural areas for biodiversity.
Established for the first time in 1985, the “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside” Intergroup works as an active stakeholder platform within the European Parliament, enabling open discussions between decision-makers, the European Commission and experts, aiming to affirm the crucial role of rural actors and the socio-economic importance of hunting and countryside activities.
MEP Alvaro Amaro (EPP, PT) played a key role in the reconstitution of the Intergroup, coordinating the work which lead to this positive result, stated: “This approval sends a clear signal of support for biodiversity, hunting and the European countryside. The Intergroup will facilitate discussions on the challenges and solutions in conserving biodiversity by stimulating good practices through agriculture, forestry, land use and hunting. These actions should be at the centre of the international scene, especially for their role in conserving biodiversity and the rural way of life”.
Dr. David Scallan, Secretary General of FACE, stated: “Europe is facing many challenges regarding biodiversity, sustainable land use and wildlife management. Hunters and other rural actors are key for the implementation of successful environmental policies. This Intergroup will continue to serve as a strategic platform to discuss dedicated actions to conserve biodiversity and ensure a healthy European countryside”.
Thierry de l’Escaille, Secretary General of ELO, stated: “The ‘European Green Deal’ underpins more than ever the importance of this Intergroup in halting the loss of biodiversity in the countryside. It is exactly this biodiversity that forms the basis of healthy ecosystems enabling us to mitigate the climate change”.
The Secretariat of the Intergroup “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside” is provided by the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) since the creation of the intergroup in 1985. The European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) joined the support of the intergroup’s work in 2004 and is acting as its Co-Secretariat, bringing its expertise on countryside-related topics.
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