European year of nature conservation

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In 1970 and 1995 the Council of Europe held a European Year for Nature Conservation in all of its member states. The European Year of Nature Conservation 1970 was the first Europe-wide environmental campaign with over 200,000 actions and is considered the birth year of the modern environmental movement in Europe. The European Year of Nature Conservation 1995 was carried out in 42 European countries with several thousand projects and actions.

Objectives and actions of the European Year of Nature Conservation 1970

The Council of Europe proclaimed 1970 the first European Year for Nature Conservation (ENJ) in 1966. The declared aim of the ENJ was to make the European population aware of the environmental problems in Europe through large-scale national awareness-raising and education campaigns: “For the first time in history ... [was] a 'European Year for Nature Conservation' ... held for the entire population to show once the dangerous situation of humans in their environment, so to speak five minutes to twelve [sic!] ".

Declaration for the European year of nature conservation 1970

The European Nature Conservation Conference in Strasbourg set the following political goal: “The goal of the conference [is] ... an agreement on the principles for the conservation and improvement of our environment. At the end of the deliberations, a European nature conservation declaration will be drawn up, which should form the basis for a convention. "

To mark the opening of the European Nature Conservation Year 1970, the European Nature Conservation Conference was held from February 9 to 12, 1970 at the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, attended by over 350 state representatives, including numerous ministers and representatives of royalty, business representatives and NGOs from 22 countries. At this conference, a "Declaration on the European Year of Nature Conservation 1970" was adopted as a consensus, which is considered a manifesto of European environmental policy :

“Every resident of Europe today can perceive the worrying signs of poisoning and disfigurement of their natural environment and the serious threats that endanger them. The natural environment has been damaged as a result of the uncontrolled and indiscriminate use of the land and the irrational exploitation of mineral resources. In many places the soil has been washed out and the water has become unusable for many of its tasks, the air is dangerously polluted, landscapes have been destroyed, wild fauna and flora are declining, waste products of all kinds are increasingly piling up and the biological equilibrium is deteriorating disturbed.

The conference declares:

  1. The rational use and planning of the natural environment must be given the highest priority in national government policies and be financed on an equal footing. Clear ministerial responsibilities for the planning and use of the landscape and other natural resources and for the conservation of nature must be justified.
  2. State measures to control air pollution, water and soil poisoning should be strengthened or introduced and internationally recognized standards for this task should be established as soon as possible.
  3. The existing legislation and regulations for the protection of the natural environment and its value preservation should be coordinated to the necessary extent at European level. "

Relevance and impact - year of birth of the modern environmental movement

Much of the actions from that time still have an effect today. 1970 can be seen as the beginning of the actual ecological nature and environmental protection in Europe:

"It raised general awareness in Europe, helped the idea to break through that the protection of our natural environment is necessary and created the first connections between the Council of Europe and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe."

According to the environmental historian John Sheail , the ENJ was "... one of the most successful 'Years' of its kinds."

European nature conservation year 1970 in the Federal Republic of Germany

On behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, the DNR organized the European Nature Conservation Year under the direction of Hubert Weinzierl : “At that time there was a brilliant atmosphere of optimism and we carried out over five hundred events in Germany. The halls were full and the hearts of the people seemed open to nature conservation. Species protection was on everyone's lips. "

For the umbrella organization of German nature and environmental protection associations (DNR), the European Year of Nature Conservation 1970, together with the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, was the most important milestone in its 60-year history. According to DNR, the term “ environmental protection ” was also invented in the European Year of Nature Conservation 1970 - based on a misunderstanding: “During the opening conference in Strasbourg, the term 'environmental protection' was born because the English-speaking reporters of 'protection of environment' and not of 'protection of nature 'languages. It was then that the scientifically untenable and factually often harmful separation into 'nature and environmental protection' began. "

Objectives and actions of the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995

Under the impression of accelerated habitat destruction and unchecked extinction of species, the Council of Europe took the initiative again in 1992 and declared 1995 the 2nd European Year for Nature Conservation (ENSJ'95). Its motto is "Shaping the future - preserving nature".

aims

The message of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, namely the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, is thus taken up at the European level. All social groups across Europe were called upon to make special efforts in 1995 to “protect nature outside of protected areas”. The participation of Eastern European countries and the like was of particular importance. a. also from states that were not yet members in 1995 and a. from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Opening event in the Council of Europe

The official opening event took place in the Council of Europe on January 31, 1995 with the participation of Daniel Tarschys , Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly and representatives of the Secretariat and others. a. Jean Pierre Ribaut . National opening events took place with high-level participation, e.g. B. by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden , the Presidents of the Republic of Italy and Malta, Prince Laurent of Belgium , Prince Henrik of Denmark and Federal Environment Minister Angela Merkel . Federal President Roman Herzog was the patron of the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995 of the Federal Republic of Germany .

European nature conservation year 1995 in the Federal Republic of Germany

German National Committee for the European Year of Conservation 1995

To advise and support the national program, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety sent the German National Committee for the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995. The national committee represented social diversity. The chairman was the ministerial director Karl-Günther Kolodziejok. It included representatives from associations from the fields of nature and the environment ( Josef Göppel ), hunting, forestry, agriculture, allotment gardening, sport, tourism, transport, business ( Maximilian Gege ), architecture, youth, representatives from the federal government, states and municipalities, representatives the churches, academia and media. The office under the management of Helga Inden-Heinrich was set up at the National Agency of the Center Naturopa at the German Nature Conservation Ring (DNR).

Following a call from the National Committee, by the end of 1994 more than five hundred organizations - individually or in groups - had already registered, with over 600 projects participating in the campaign for nature conservation outside of protected areas.

Exemplary and exemplary national projects in the European Year of Nature Conservation

Of the more than 550 program contributions from all federal states, the jury of the National Committee selected 53 projects as particularly exemplary and exemplary program contributions from the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Year of Nature Conservation and awarded a certificate from Federal President Roman Herzog, who has taken on the patronage. National projects were u. a.

European year of nature conservation 1995 in Switzerland

National Committee for the European Year of Conservation 1995

The plans for Switzerland's European Year of Nature Conservation were drawn up by the Federal Office for Forests and Landscape (SAEFL). A «National Committee for the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995» was formed. It took over the patronage. Honorary President was Federal Councilor Ruth Dreifuss , National Councilor Christoph Eymann was President of the National Committee. Members were representatives of the federal councils, the federal administration, the cantonal governments, associations and science. A separate ENSJ secretariat was set up as a contact point. All events and actions in the ENSJ'95 were published in the periodically published «AGENDA».

Goals and actions of the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995 in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the focus was on the extensification of use and the revitalization and networking of the Swiss living space. Specifically, the following goals should be achieved:

  • "Anchoring the understanding among the entire population that nature conservation is necessary:" Nature concerns us all, everyone and everyone personally ";
  • Propagation and practice of nature conservation on the whole area: 'Nature is not limited to the nature reserves, but should be able to develop in the whole landscape';
  • Introduction of exemplary nature conservation measures, demonstration of options for action for private individuals and authorities, promotion of implementation. "

Manifesto: Switzerland's natural landscape

As a highlight took place on 29./30. August 1995 Nature Days took place in the Federal Palace. The most outstanding event of this event was the adoption of a MANIFESTO, which is presented here in excerpts:

"Nature is a common heritage and the basis of life. Nature conservation is an obligation that is incumbent on every single person ... Nature cannot be protected in isolated reserves alone. The participants of the Nature Days '95 in the Federal Palace therefore demand: More nature through sustainable use:

  • A near-natural agriculture with networked compensation areas (in the mountain area the near-natural habitats are preserved, in the valley area 70,000 hectares of near-natural habitats will be eliminated by the year 2000).
  • That consumers prefer environmentally friendly and animal friendly products - if possible from their region (such as organic products and standard fruit).
  • More near-natural areas in the settlement area: By the year 2000 10% of the company premises and private gardens and 50% of the public facilities.
  • Nature conservation support as part of the planning and implementation of infrastructure systems.
  • That nature is increasingly being left to its own devices (rivers, forests) and that more coherent wilderness areas can emerge again.
  • That areas in the settlement area are repeatedly created for nature's own development.
  • That a national species protection concept with regional implementation strategies is drawn up immediately.
  • That a national program for the monitoring of biological diversity be drawn up immediately (NABIO) ".

literature

  • Council of Europe: Declaration on the European Year of Nature Conservation 1970. Strasbourg, February 12, 1970 ( PDF )
  • German National Committee for the European Year of Conservation 1995: Conservation outside of protected areas. The German contribution to the 2nd European year of nature conservation 1995. Bonn 1996
  • Announcements from the Natural Research Society in Bern: Second European Year of Nature Conservation 1995 (ENSJ'95). New episode volume (year): 53 (1996)
  • Ribaut, Jean-Pierre: European Conservation Year. Culmination or Starting Point ?, in: Nature in Focus. Bulletin of the European Information Center for Nature Conservation, Summer 1970 (Special issue European Conversation Year), pp. 18-20.
  • Council of Europa - Naturopa: 1995: European Nature Conservation Year ( PDF 14 MB )
  • Thorsten Schulz: The European Year of Nature Conservation 1970 - Attempt of a Europe-wide environmental campaign WZB Discussion Paper, No. P 2006-007 ( PDF )

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jochen Bölsche: Mirror of the 20th century: The enemy in the mirror . In: Der Spiegel . No. 10 , 1999 ( online - Mar. 8, 1999 ).
  2. ↑ German National Committee for the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995: Nature Conservation Outside of Protected Areas. The German contribution to the 2nd European Year of Nature Conservation 1995. Bonn 1996, page 9
  3. ↑ a b John Sheail: An Environmental History of Twentieth-Century Britain. 2002, page 146
  4. ↑ Thorsten Schulz; Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH (Hrsg.): The 'European year of nature conservation 1970' - attempt of a Europe-wide environmental campaign. Berlin, 2006 (Discussion Papers / Berlin Science Center for Social Research 2006-007). URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-196627
  5. ↑ http://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/50265/1/526581956.pdf
  6. ↑ John Sheail: An Environmental History of Twentieth-Century Britain. 2002, page 146
  7. ↑ http://www.dnk.de/_uploads/media/141_1970_Europarat_Naturschutzjahr.pdf
  8. ↑ http://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=mnb-002:1996:53::204
  9. ↑ German National Committee for the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995: Nature Conservation Outside of Protected Areas. The German contribution to the 2nd European Year of Nature Conservation 1995. Bonn 1996, page 8
  10. ↑ Hubert Weinzierl: 60 Years of the German Nature Protection Ring (PDF =) German Nature Protection Ring. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  11. ↑ DNR: From nature conservation to sustainability 60 years of the Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR). 2010 p. 5 https://www.dbu.de/OPAC/ab/DBU-Abschlussbericht-AZ-28403.pdf
  12. ↑ Naturopa ( English ) Council of Europe. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  13. ↑ German National Committee for the European Year of Nature Conservation 1995: Nature Conservation Outside of Protected Areas. The German contribution to the 2nd European year of nature conservation 1995. Bonn 1996
  14. ↑ a b c Announcements from the Natural Research Society in Bern: Second European Nature Conservation Year 1995 (ENSJ'95). New episode volume (year): 53 (1996)