Press Release: EU to take part in global database of all life on earth

The European Union will contribute to a global effort, announced on 10 May 2007 in Washington, to create a Global Species Information System. Information about species is important for researchers, policy-makers, land managers, farmers, conservationists and many other groups in society, as well as the general public. Knowing what species exist, where and how they live, how they grow and interact helps us understand patterns of change, and provides better knowledge of how to change our behaviour to support our fragile biodiversity. The EU will take part with the SpeciesBase project, in collaboration with scientists from the US, Australia, Brazil, India and South Africa. This initiative is part of the follow-up to the G8 Ministerial meeting on Biodiversity, held in Potsdam in March 2007.