IUCN - About IUCN in Pan-Europe

About IUCN in Pan-Europe

IUCN’s Pan-European Region covers the whole of Europe and North and Central Asia. This is IUCN’s largest programmatic region and contains two global biodiversity hotspots: The Mediterranean basin and the Caucasus.

The region is also home to over a third of IUCN’s membership and a significant proportion of the expert base for the six Commissions. Four offices located in Brussels, Belgrade, Moscow and Tbilisi deliver IUCN’s Pan-European Programme, supported by the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in Malaga. Together we strive to meet our goals for a sustainable Europe by using local expertise and the strength of the global IUCN network.

IUCN’s mission in the Pan-European region:

“To foster and fortify a European network of excellence in environmental research, policy and best practice, with the aim to contribute to IUCN’s global mission, support the integration of biodiversity conservation into economic development and to support innovative initiatives for the multifunctional, sustainable use of natural resources.”

The Road to 2010 and beyond (2007)

IUCN's Pan-European Programme

The IUCN European Programme goal for 2005-2008 is to contribute to halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – a political commitment made by European Heads of State and Environment Ministers. We aim to achieve this through working towards the following objectives:

Improved support framework for the global work of IUCN through the EU and other European partners and improved European membership services
Improved knowledge of biodiversity change and effective conservation measures at landscape, habitat and species level
Efficient incentive frameworks for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use are available and understood
National and supranational policies, multilateral agreements, processes and institutions are more supportive of biodiversity conservation and ecologically sustainable use
Ecosystems are managed in a sustainable manner, reconciling social, economic and biodiversity objectives

Our work is linked through the activities of the Countdown 2010 initiative.

Upcoming Programme

The World Conservation Congress in Barcelona 2008 will approve the IUCN Programme for 2009-2012. The programme will focus on the following areas:

Conserving the diversity of life
Changing the climate forecast
Naturally energising the future
Managing ecosystems for human well-being
Greening the world economy

The IUCN Regional Office for Europe has developed a draft programme in consultation with members and partners.

Programme Documents 2005-2008

Programme Documents 2009-2012