The workshop was set against a background of recognition as to the need for healthy ecosystems, not just to halt the loss of biodiversity but also to derive benefits from the valuable services that ecosystems can provide us. Despite out best efforts, nature continues to be lost and fragmented. Given the scale of the challenge, it is recognised that more needs to be done to build an ecologically coherent green infrastructure for Europe for the benefit of all, people and nature.
The main objective of this workshop was therefore to help identify an appropriate Community response to these concerns which builds on the experiences of existing Green Infrastructure and ecological networking initiatives across Europe.