From nature conservation to EU policy: Translating leadership into EU policy and strategic investment in Europe’s overseas regions
📆 1st July 2026, 13h00-15h00
📍Organised at the European Parliament, Brussels, SPINELLI 5E3 room
EU outermost regions and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) steward some of the world’s most valuable biodiversity and marine ecosystems, yet they face acute environmental pressures and structural constraints that require sustained and tailored support. These territories are not peripheral beneficiaries of EU environmental policy, but strategic partners delivering tangible contributions to Europe’s biodiversity and climate commitments.
As the European Union prepares the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034), the moment is critical to ensure that the political recognition of these regions’ role as biodiversity stewards translates into concrete policy support and sustained financial investment.
This event will serve as a catalyst to bridge island leadership with EU decision-making. Bringing together representatives from the European Parliament, EU Member States, the European Commission, and key institutional donors, the event will highlight the strategic value of investing in overseas biodiversity, as a cost-effective pathway to deliver conservation outcomes, climate adaptation and global environmental commitments.
Central to this discussion will be BESTLIFE2030, presented as a proven, credible and scalable delivery model, which enables locally led biodiversity action in complex overseas contexts, while generating measurable environmental and community benefits.
More broadly, the event aims to translate recognition into action by mobilising policy alignment, funding traction and strategic partnerships. Discussions will therefore focus on recognising bottom-up funding mechanisms, such as BESTLIFE2030 as effective instruments for biodiversity delivery, exploring the establishment of a dedicated EU biodiversity funding window for overseas regions, and encouraging donors and foundations to view region-led biodiversity initiatives as investment-ready and scalable solutions.
The event ultimately seeks to strengthen alliances and catalyse long-term investment in overseas biodiversity, ensuring that the EU’s global environmental ambitions are matched with sustained support where they matter most.
- IUCN news article: ‘European Parliament highlights EU overseas biodiversity as a strategic investment priority for the next EU budget’
- Event presentations: ‘Voices from the territories – locally led biodiversity action in practice’
- Event recording, available on YouTube
Final Agenda
Event moderator: Tommaso Demozzi, Biodiversity Policy Officer, IUCN EU Representative Office
13:00 – 13:15: Welcome participants
13:15 – 13:30: Opening remarks by:
• MEP Paulo do Nascimento Cabral (EPP, Portugal)
• MEP Younous Omarjee, Vice-President, European Parliament (GUE/NGL, France)
13:30 – 13:50: Voices from the territories: Locally led biodiversity action in practice:
• Laëtitia Faivre, OCEA Consult, Indian Ocean
• Sabrine Brismeur, Nature Foundation Sint Maarten, Dutch Caribbean
• Joao Miguel Gouveia Nunes, Ecological Park of Funchal, Macaronesia
13:50 – 14:35: Panel discussion on From recognition to investment: strengthening long-term support for overseas biodiversity:
• Aurelie Godefroy, Deputy Head of Unit (B3) on ‘All Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)’, DG INTPA, European Commission
• Alexandra Vakrou, Head of Unit, General Affairs, Knowledge & Resources, Green Knowledge & Research Hub, LIFE – DG Environment (ENV.A.3), European Commission
• Guus Schutjes, Policy Coordinator, Caribbean Team, Directorate-General for Nature and Fisheries (DG Nature and Fisheries), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Quality and Nature, The Netherlands
• Kate Brown, Executive Director of the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA)
and the Island Biodiversity Coalition
• Harry Durimel, Mayor of Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
14:35 – 14:50: Interaction with the audience, including reactions from:
• MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, Spain)
• Paul Sauboua, French Biodiversity Agency (OFB)
• Chloé Desmots, French Committee of IUCN
• Mark van der Wal, Dutch Committee of IUCN
14:50 – 15:00: Closing remarks by Trevor Sandwith, Director for Centre for Conservation Action, IUCN / Cristina Romero, BESTLIFE2030 Programme Manager, IUCN
15:00 – 16:00: Networking cocktail at the EP
