September 2009: The fifth Intergovernmental Conference on “Biodiversity in Europe” was held from 22-24 September 2009, in Liege, Belgium. The conference discussed the state of Europe’s biodiversity and post-2010 biodiversity targets for the pan-European region.

It resulted in a “Message from Liege,” in which European conservation leaders list a range of priorities and recommendations to conserve ecosystem services, address the biodiversity impacts of climate change, and integrate biodiversity into other sectors. A new target was suggested, to “halt any further loss of species and habitats and, by 2025, restoration of degraded areas with an emphasis on links between biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change and human well-being.” [The conference website] [Final press release]