Biological diversity has arisen through evolution over millions of years. The speed with which species become extinct today has risen by a factor of 50-100. This has consequences for the possible choices of action that we have today. At the same time, the UN’s assessment underlines the dependence of mankind on biological diversity for its survival, generation of wealth, welfare and prosperity. At the Environment for Europe conference in Kiev in 2003, the European environment ministers agreed to set a more ambitious target for Europe. According to this target, the objective is to halt the loss of biological diversity at all levels by the year 2010.