Bern Convention

The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats - better known as the Bern Convention - was adopted on September 1979 in Bern, Switzerland, and came into force on 1st of June 1982.

Poppy field in Armenia

The aims of the Bern Convention are "to conserve wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats, especially those species and habitats whose conservation requires the co-operation of several States, and to promote such co-operation".

Particular emphasis is given to endangered and vulnerable species, including endangered and vulnerable migratory species.

The Bern Convention has 40 signatory parties, including the 35 member states of the Council of Europe as well as the European Union. It focusses on coordinating the action of the European States in adopting common standards and policies for the sustainable use of biological diversity

The importance of the Bern Convention is that it is the internationally binding legal instrument in the field of nature conservation on a pan-European scale, beyond EU legislation.

In order to achieve its aims, the Bern Convention imposes legal obligations on contracting parties. Amongst others, more than 500 wild plant species are protected under the convention, for example the European Scilla morrisii, a critically endangered species also listed in the IUCN Red List.

This species is found only in the north-western part of Cyprus, it grows often under a closed canopy of old oak trees (Quercus infectoria subsp. veneris) and shrubs (Pistacia terebinthus). Due to road construction and increased agricultural land use, the extent of its habitat is decreasing steadily. The survival of Scilla morrisii depends on the conservation of the remaining oak forests in the region.

In November 2001, the European Plant Conservation Strategy (EPCS) was submitted to the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention.

The Standing Committee recognised that the EPCS is a valuable contribution to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) (Recommendation No 87, 2001). Contracting parties are urged to formulate and implement or reinforce national plant conservation strategies, or have them incorporated as an integral part of national biodiversity strategies. The Standing Committee clearly stated that the EPCS is a valuable tool for the conservation of wild flora and natural habitats.

The Bern Convention is a binding international legal instrument in the field of nature conservation, which covers the whole of the natural heritage of Europe. For more information, on the Bern Convention, please visit the website of the Council of Europe, or download the Bern Convention and its appendices here.