"Biodiversity is the natural wealth of the earth, the basis of the life and prosperity of humankind. But vital resources are dwindling at an alarming rate". Stavros Dimas, EU Commissioner for the Environment, spoke on the occasion of the World Biodiversity Day, which is celebrated today. "The message is clear he adds . We are depriving ourselves of our own future. Now it’s vital to work harder to protect the diversity of life on earth". The Commissioner explains that the 27 member states have "implemented a package of measures to try to stop such loss of biodiversity: an action plan which is well under way, a wide network of protected sites that is nearly finished, and a forthcoming report on attendant economic consequences". At the same time, the EU supports the Convention of Biological Diversity, which is going on in Bonn with 190 parties "committing themselves to significantly reducing such loss of biodiversity by 2010". But the EU "has taken one further step as it committed itself to completely stopping" such problem by the same date. Bonn has focussed its attention on deforestation, the establishment of protected sites (including marine ones), and the impact of bio-fuels.
