The Biodiversity Policy Programme of the Netherlands 2008-2011.

This Policy Programme sets out the Dutch government’s priorities in addressing the biodiversity loss and promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources in the 2008-2011 years, strengthening cooperation between ministries and with other authorities and actors in civil society. This Policy Programme opens with a brief description of the context, focusing on how to halt the loss of biodiversity and promote the sustainable use of natural resources. The Programme then describes the international and national policy framework and the topics to which the Dutch government intends to devote special attention in the years covered by the Programme. These priorities are interwoven with regular activities that will be continued within the existing national and international governance frameworks. The appendix includes an overview of the various elements of the biodiversity dossier. The Policy Programme focuses on the following priorities: actively helping to slow the pace of biodiversity loss outside the European Union, in accordance with international agreements; contributing to achieving sustainable development goals, linking poverty alleviation to the sustainable use of natural resources, creating a better environment and sustainable economic growth; integrating aspects of biodiversity into economic sectors; promoting biodiversity related participation and knowledge as well as communication and education; creating markets and payment mechanisms for biodiversity, strengthening payment for biodiversity and ecosystem services; protecting marine biodiversity and sustainable fisheries.
Concerning the various priorities, the Programme specifies targeted measures: promoting agreements with business actors on the preservation and sustainable Management of biodiversity; including biodiversity as an element in improving the sustainability of the palm oil, soya and biomass chain; evaluating public-private partnership for sustainable palm oil with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Netherlands; promoting the use of organic substances in agricultural areas; improving the utilisation of ecosystem services in national land use; creating ecological networks; combating illegal, unreported and unregistered fishing (IUU fishing), in order to reduce the uncontrolled burden on the marine ecosystem and tackle unfair competition.