Members
Nuria Selva, Chair (
Poland/Spain
)
Barbara Livoreil (France)
Martin Dietrich (Germany)
Nuria Selva (Poland/Spain)
Per Sjögren-Gulve, (Sweden)
Vassiliki Kati (Greece)
Przemek Chylarecki (Poland)
Pierre Ibisch ( Germany )
Strategy
Mission:
The Mission of the SCB-ES Policy Committee is based on sound scientific evidence to advance understanding for and action towards improved nature conservation in the policy arena.
Organization:
The SCB-ES bylaws provide for the establishment of committees as a means to focus section activities and to foster communication with the membership. Committees are, at any time, accountable to the Section Board. Strategies and actions proposed by committees have to be approved by the SCB-ES Board of Governors. The BOG ultimately decides on procedures for implementation.
SCB-ES committees are composed of interested members of the Section. The Policy Committee is chaired by a member of the Section Board appointed by the President. In response to the complexity of European conservation issues, the Policy Committee depends highly on input from the SCB-ES membership. As a basic philosophy, it seeks to take advantage of members’ expertise by calling for and supporting their active involvement.
Tasks:
- to further the mission of the SCB-ES by developing policy and strategy for relationships with political, scientific, and other pertinent organizations;
- to develop Resolutions and Statements of Public Advocacy that explain the Section’s view on a particular issue or controversy;
- to support and advise the membership in questions and action relating to policy issues.
The basic task of the SCB-ES Policy Committee is to provide for exchange with the public and decision makers without compromising the scientific rigor of an academic association. Maintenance of scientific rigor is not to be confused with retreat from public debate. Rather, outreach to the public and policy makers is needed to advocate for biological diversity and to implement scientific findings resulting from conservation biology research. Scientists must be aware that successful implementation in turn justifies provision of research funds by political bodies and administrative entities.
Biodiversity conservation in cultural landscapes is a traditional and characteristic concern/theme in many European countries (Europe as a case model). In cultural landscapes nature conservation depends on active user cooperation. The complexity of nature conservation, and nature conservation in cultural landscapes in particular, calls for intersectoral approaches: horizontally between disciplines (interdisciplinary), vertically between hierarchies of abstraction (science, politics, administration, implementation). The Policy Committee moves at the interface between Conservation Biology and the sectors named above. Acting at this interface requires the establishment of networks: contacts to social scientists, politicians, administrators, interest groups and the media.
The SCB-ES policy committee will act on issues relating to the European scale. However, this is not intended to translate into a retreat from actual on site problems of nature conservation. For example, the effectiveness (ineffectiveness) of legislation developed for the preservation of biological diversity should not be addressed in general terms. Rather, critique has to be based on a conclusive pattern that is determined from specific cases. The policy committee is seeking and will value input from the European conservation community in general and the SCB-ES membership in particular when looking for such patterns. Vitality of the Policy Committee will depend on membership input and participation.
Focal issues
The PC currently has defined the following focal issues:
- misuse of public funds (case studies project addressing the use of funds in violation of EU conservation directives)
- incentives linking academics to application (conservation action in academia project)
- implementation of Natura2000 (poster session ECCB2006)
- agri-environment
- conservation and global change
Resolutions
- Bialowieza Resolution
- Biodiversity Resolution
Protocols
- Uppsala Meeting
- Eberswalde meeting
- Le Luc meeting
- Brussels meeting
Contact
Nuria Selva
nuriaselva@poczta.onet.pl |
