Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats

Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats
Name	Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats
Long name	Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats
Date signed	1991
Location signed	London
Parties	37 (as of 2024)
Depositor	United Nations Environment Programme

Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats

The Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats is a multilateral environmental instrument negotiated under the auspices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and concluded at a meeting in London in 1991, aiming to safeguard Chiroptera across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Western Asia. It brings together range states, regional bodies such as the European Union, and conservation organizations like the Bat Conservation International and the IUCN to coordinate measures for bat protection, habitat management, and scientific research.

Background and Objectives

The Agreement was developed following deliberations within the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species and influenced by conservation instruments including the Bern Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and regional initiatives like the Natura 2000 network, seeking to address declines documented by researchers from institutions such as the Zoological Society of London, the Natural History Museum, London, and the Max Planck Society. Its objectives include protecting bat roosts, safeguarding migratory corridors identified by teams from the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Vienna, and promoting legislation consistent with directives adopted by the European Commission and courts such as the European Court of Justice.

Parties and Geographic Scope

Signatory and acceding states include members of the Council of Europe, states from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization area, and transcontinental states bordering Caucasus and Middle East regions, with participation from non-state actors like the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and the European Parliament. The geographic scope covers range states where species such as the Greater horseshoe bat, Common pipistrelle, and Mediterranean horseshoe bat occur, extending from the Iberian Peninsula and British Isles to the Ural Mountains and parts of Maghreb and Levant territories.

Key Provisions and Conservation Measures

The Agreement obliges Parties to enact measures resembling provisions in the Habitat Directive and to implement protection for species listed, including those highlighted by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and monitoring frameworks used by the European Environment Agency. Provisions mandate safeguarding roosts in structures catalogued by national heritage bodies like Historic England and the French Ministry of Culture, mitigating impacts from infrastructure projects assessed under standards applied by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and environmental authorities such as the Environment Agency (England).

Implementation and Governance

Governance is overseen by a Meeting of the Parties supported by a Secretariat hosted by the UNEP and advisory bodies including the Advisory Committee and technical working groups with experts from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Society for the Protection of Prespa, and academic centers such as the University of Warsaw. Implementation mechanisms include national reports analogous to processes under the Convention on Biological Diversity and capacity-building workshops run with partners like the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank-funded programs.

Research, Monitoring, and Species Action Plans

Research coordination draws on methodologies from the British Trust for Ornithology, the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, and collaborations with the European Bat Research Symposium community to produce species action plans for taxa such as the Bechstein's bat, Barbastelle, and Noctule. Monitoring employs acoustic survey protocols developed by teams at the University of Bristol, ring-recovery data akin to schemes by the Finnish Museum of Natural History, and telemetry studies using technology from institutions including the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

Threats and Conservation Challenges

Threats addressed include habitat loss from land-use changes driven by policies in Common Agricultural Policy, disturbance of roosts in heritage sites managed by agencies such as the National Trust (United Kingdom), impacts of wind energy installations as regulated by bodies like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and disease pressures analogous to white-nose syndrome documented in North America. Challenges also encompass cross-border enforcement, funding constraints relative to mechanisms like the LIFE Programme, and climate-driven range shifts discussed in reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

History and Outcomes

Adopted in 1991 following diplomatic negotiations influenced by conservation NGOs including the Bat Conservation Trust and scientific inputs from universities such as the University of Helsinki and University of Göttingen, the Agreement has facilitated creation of bat reserves, informed national legislation in states like Germany, France, and Poland, and supported research leading to improved population assessments appreciated by the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Outcomes include strengthened species protection, enhanced international cooperation with agencies such as the Council of the European Union, and development of practical guidance used by conservation practitioners across Europe and adjacent regions.

Category:Environmental treaties Category:Wildlife conservation treaties Category:Bats