Germany's National Wetland Committee, 2008
Meeting of the German National Wetland Committee
A meeting of the German National Wetland Committee was held on September 3rd, 2008, at the Ministry of Environment in Bonn, Germany. About twenty people, representatives of the federal Ministry of Environment, some Federal States (Länder), WWF-Germany, NGOs, the Bundesamt für Naturschutz (federal Agency for nature protection) and a representative of the Ramsar Secretariat attended the meeting, chaired by Christiane Paulus, the head of the Administrative Authority.
The aim of the meeting was first to report on the Ramsar European Regional Meeting, held in Sweden in May 2008, to explain the rules of procedure for COP10 and to better define the German position at COP10. Then a presentation of the transboundary site Oberrhein to be designated together with France very soon was done. Finally the Ramsar perspectives in Germany were discussed, more particularly:
- the reporting issues linked to the Convention (national reports, updating the Ramsar Information Sheets,…), the workload they represent and the possible harmonization with Natura 2000 reporting;
- the possibility of developing a website in German on Ramsar issues to raise awareness among a wider audience;
- the functioning of the National Wetland Committee (regularity of the meeting, best way of communication, etc)
The Secretariat strongly encourages Germany to continue on in this direction and to use its National Wetland Committee as an active tool to promote nationally the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
-- Alexia Dufour, Ramsar