Europe's nature protection goals: progress has nearly stalled
A weekly programme by the European public broadcaster ARTE asks whether Europe has neglected biodiversity. It says political pressure and industry lobbying have almost completely halted progress in environmental protection.
Europe, once the world's leader in protecting biodiversity, the variety of living nature, now faces a major slowdown in delivering its environmental goals. That is the conclusion of a weekly video programme by the European public broadcaster ARTE, also published by the Latvian magazine Ir, which asks whether the continent has neglected biodiversity. The topic is timely because the COP17 summit is taking place this week.
What threatens the goals
The programme's description says Europe's ambitious environmental targets are threatened by geopolitical crises, economic difficulties and political resistance. Political pressure and the influence of industry lobbies have, it says, almost completely stopped progress.
It also notes that restrictions on pesticides, the chemicals used to protect crops, are being relaxed and environmental protection rules weakened. Ecosystems, it adds, remain under growing threat.
The question around COP17
The programme's makers ask whether this week's COP17 summit will be a strong enough warning signal for Europe to turn back to protecting nature.
About the project
The weekly programme is made by ARTE and published in ten languages in cooperation with several media outlets: El País (Spain), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Internazionale (Italy), Kathimerini (Greece), Le Soir (Belgium), Telex (Hungary), Ir (Latvia), Balkan Insight (Balkan Peninsula) and Sinopsis (Romania). The project is funded by the European Union from European Media Platforms funds.
