Ιnstitutional provisions for biodiversity conservation

A presentation by Ioli Christopoulou titled “Biodiversity conservation: The need for protection & main institutional provisions” was delivered during an educational seminar for members of the judicial sector in Crete, on April 10, 2019.

The seminar themed “Environmental liability and biodiversity conservation in the context of the national and European law” was organized by the Coordination Office for the Implementation of Environmental Liability (COIEL) of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, within the scope of the LIFE NATURA THEMIS project, at the Natural History Museum of Crete.

The seminar was a training and capacity-building opportunity for the members of the judicial sector in Crete on environmental issues and the legal provisions on nature conservation and environmental crime. Surveys undertaken by the LIFE NATURA THEMIS project have demonstrated the knowledge gaps on environmental legislation provisions even among members of the judiciary. 

The speech provided an introduction on the global challenge of biodiversity loss and the need for biodiversity conservation, as well as an overview of the global, European and national legal instruments available.

The seminar was attended by judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and other members of the legal community, representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy as well as of relevant regional and local authorities, stakeholders and environmental NGOs.