ENVI

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI)

No more time to lose: Despite strict nature protection laws, the EU is struggling to maintain its biodiversity, with unsustainable farming, fragmentation, habitat loss, and climate change being the biggest threats to biodiversity. What can the EU do in order to protect all species and habitats in Europe?

Submitted by: Doris de Wit, Evelien Korving, Gabrielle Groeneveld, Jade Geurts, Julie Terng, Meilan Luijendijk, PSubmitted by: Doris de Wit, Evelien Korving, Gabrielle Groeneveld, Jade Geurts, Julie Terng, Meilan Luijendijk, Parmis Mohajeri, Sarah Overweg, Aiden Blokzijl, Klára Vísnerová (Chairperson, CZ)

The European Youth Parliament,

  1. Recognising the  need for a coordinated approach to protecting biodiversity, as expressed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
  2. Aware of:
    1. the correlation between declining biodiversity and climate change,
    2. the need for a joint approach,
  3. Noting with regret how rising consumption demand leads to overexploitation of global natural resources,
  4. Deeply alarmed that up to 25% of European animal species are now in danger of extinction,
  5. Observing that terrestrial and marine ecosystems are currently absorbing roughly 50% of manmade carbon emissions,
  6. Deeply concerned by the danger posed by invasive alien species to biodiversity;
  1. Suggests Member States to connect natural ecosystems with urban areas by implementing initiatives like ‘green roofs’ or ‘The Bees in the City’, following the model established by the University of Westminster 2019; 1A green roof is a roof that is partially or fully covered with vegetation.
  2. Calls upon Member States to update their agri-food chain legislation to include taxes on meat products;
  3. Calls upon Member States to:
    1. encourage research into their local natural habitats and their preservation,
    2. allocate more funding to natural preservation;
  4. Encourages Member States to direct their agricultural sectors to respect the time required for the recovery of overexploited land areas in accordance with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030;
  5. Suggest Member States establish a fee on food overproduction following the Korean model;
  6. Asks Member States to financially support and expand endangered species’ breeding and relocation initiatives;
  7. Calls upon Member States to improve tracking of and adopt measures against the spread of alien invasive species in their ecosystems;
  8. Urges Member States to implement stricter regulations against illegal wildlife hunting and trafficking, as well as improve enforcement of pre-existing laws.