EU environment ministers have agreed that more urgently needs to be done to stop European biodiversity from declining further.

Meeting in Luxembourg yesterday, the ministers stated they are “alarmed” by the threats to biodiversity posed by invasive alien species and “deeply concerned” by the European Commission’s assessment that the EU is unlikely to meet its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.

Ministers called for the Commission to prepare by 2010 a new strategy to tackle invasive species, which the Commission estimates costs the EU over 12 billion euros per year. As well as setting out methods of detection, monitoring and containment, the strategy should include steps to establish a comprehensive inventory of invasive alien species, the ministers said.

Also at the same meeting, ministers also agreed to cut industrial emissions including sulphur and nitrogen oxides, dust particles, asbestos and heavy metals. The legislation now needs to be approved by the European Parliament – a process that may take six months or more.

“Industrial emissions in the EU are still very high,” said the EU’s Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. “It is absolutely vital that these emissions be reduced, especially by those industrial plants that pollute the most. Today’s agreement brings us one step closer to substantial emission reductions from industrial plants, which will decrease the exposure of European citizens to harmful pollutants and significantly improve the health of the environment.”

The Commission says the proposals could cut health expenditure in the 7 to 28 billion euros and prevent 13,000 premature deaths a year.

Image: snapping turtle, one invasive species that troubles Europe / US FWS