European Red List of Vascular Plants - European Commission

Foreword
Europe is a continent rich in
natural and cultural heritage, with a
diverse range of habitat conditions
from dry Mediterranean maquis in
the south to the Arctic tundra of
the far north.
Possibly more than anywhere else in the world the
European landscapes have been changed by human
activities so that now the continent is covered with a
mosaic of natural and semi-natural habitats surrounding
urbanized areas. Although bringing higher diversity, this
modification has obviously also placed great pressures
on our wildlife and natural areas. In consequence,
biodiversity loss is an enormous challenge in the
EU today, with around one in four species currently
threatened with extinction and 88% of fish stocks overexploited
or significantly depleted.
In line with global commitments made in Nagoya in
October 2010, where world leaders adopted a package
of measures to address global biodiversity loss over the
coming decade, the European Commission has adopted
in May 2011 an ambitious new strategy to halt the loss
of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU by 2020.
There are six main targets, and 20 actions to help Europe
reach its goal.
The six targets cover:
1. full implementation of EU nature legislation to
protect biodiversity
2. better protection for ecosystems, and more use of
green infrastructure
3. more sustainable agriculture and forestry
4. better management of fish stocks
5. tighter controls on invasive alien species
6. a bigger EU contribution to averting global
biodiversity loss
Numerous scientific studies show that biodiversity in
Europe has been declining rapidly for some time during
periods of expansion and intensification of land use. The
reporting process under Article 17 of the EU Habitats
Directive underlines this fact as most species and habitats
of community interest are still not under a favourable
conservation status.
Regional European Red Lists are another important tool
to scientifically assess and communicate the status of
species. They usefully complement the reporting under
the Habitats Directive as they usually address all species
in a specific taxonomic group, not just those protected by
EU legislation. They hence give important complementary
and comprehensive information about the situation of
biodiversity in Europe.
This first assessment of Europe’s Vascular Plants has
assessed 1,826 species. The assessment comprises three
groups: plants included in European and international
policy instruments, selected priority crop wild relatives,
and aquatic plant species present in Europe. The assessment
shows us that at least 467 species are threatened.
Assessments carried out for other taxonomic groups at
European level show that 44% of freshwater molluscs,
37% of freshwater fishes, 23% of amphibians, 19% of
reptiles, 15% of mammals and dragonflies, 13% of birds,
and 9% of butterflies are threatened, groups that have been
comprehensively assessed in Europe. Additional European
Red Lists assessing a selection from species groups have
shown that 20% of assessed terrestrial molluscs and 11%
of assessed saproxylic beetles are also threatened.
Unfortunately, the drivers for these declines are mostly
still in place. Intensified livestock farming, recreational
activities, tourism and urban development, wild
plant collection, invasive alien species, natural system
modification and pollution pose the main threats for
vascular plants.
What can we as Europeans do about this First and
foremost, we need to fully implement the existing European
legislation. The EU Habitats and Birds Directives are
the main pieces of legislation ensuring the protection of
Europe’s nature. The Natura 2000 network of protected
sites and the efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity in
the wider countryside are helping to guarantee its future
conservation. But the challenge is a wider one, as the new
EU Biodiversity Strategy shows. Sustainable use of our
wider environment and the maintaining of ecosystem
services have come to the centre of our attention.
I hope that this European Red List for Vascular Plants
will add another piece of evidence for the fact that efforts
aimed at halting the loss of biodiversity need a major boost
in the coming years.
Pia Bucella
Director
Directorate B: Nature, Biodiversity & Land Use
European Commission
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