About the Conference

Planta Europa is the network that brings together more than 77 members organisations from 35 European countries. It was established in 1995 as an international initiative focused on the conservation of wild plants and fungi as well as their habitats. Among the members are non-governmental conservation organisations, governmental bodies, botanical gardens and universities.
Learn more about Planta Europa at www.plantaeuropa.org

The Planta Europa Conferences are held, in principle, every third year with the aim of bringing together experts from all European countries and discussing the future of conserving European wild plants in their natural habitats. Earlier PE conferences took place at Hyeres, France (1995), Uppsala, Sweden (1998), Pruhonice, Czech Republic (2001), Valencia, Spain (2004) and Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2007).
Learn more about earlier Planta Europa Conferences at  www.plantaeuropa.org

The 6th Planta Europa Conference ‘Actions for Wild Plants’ will take place in Kraków in May 2011. The usual three-year rhythm of the events was intentionally modified here to account for the rich programme of the International Year of Biodiversity declared in 2010. Planning the conference in the following year allows, on the one hand, to avoid an excessive accumulation of biodiversity conservation-related events and, on the other, makes it possible to have an overview of the IYB outcomes.
The forthcoming meeting will be focused on the major issues of the wild plant conservation at the European, country and regional levels. The main axis of the conference will be based on the targets of the European Strategy for Plant Conservation (ESPC) published by Planta Europa in 2008 and  will provide the updated framework and directions for plant conservation in Europe.

Main aims of the 6th Planta Europa Conference:

» Sharing experience on conservation Actions for Wild Plants : good practice, achievements, new methods for conserving plant diversity at all levels of its organization. Presentations and discussions will be grouped under three broad categories: 
   A: Understanding and documenting plant diversity (Objective 1. of the ESPC)
   B: Conserving plant diversity (Objective 2. of the ESPC)
   C: Using plant diversity sustainably, promoting education and awareness about plant diversity
        and increasing capacity for the plant conservation (Objectives 3-5. of the ESPC). 

» A short overview and discussion on the realization of "European Strategy for Plant Conservation" (ESPC) to date, and the future of plant conservation in Europe in the framework of global and European conservation policy. 

» Discussing the future of Planta Europa, especially concerning organizational form, aims, activities, plans and actions that should animate its activity during coming years.

» Debate on the programme. 

» Organizational issues, including conferring PE awards and election of new PE authorities.