Biological diversity is essential to maintain life on earth and has important social, scientific, economic, cultural and aesthetic values. For using, monitoring and understanding the world's biodiversity it is necessary to utilize the existing biodiversity information to its full potential. Primary biodiversity data will therefore have to be digitised and made accessible through an integrated shared information infrastructure. The major objective of ENBI is to establish a strong European network for this purpose. This network pools the relevant technical resources and human expertise in Europe and will identify the biodiversity information priorities to be managed at the European level. Other objectives are the establishment of communication platforms to inquire the needs of the users of biodiversity information and to disseminate biodiversity expertise to professionals and policy makers.

ENBI's methodology

ENBI is the European contribution to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The business plan of GBIF gives priority to the vast objective to make primary biodiversity data globally available. In first instance GBIF is restricted to taxonomic data and to biological collection and specimen data, as well as to promoting the common access and interoperability between these databases. ENBI follows these priorities by concentrating on databases at the European scale and on activities that need co-operation at a European level. ENBI also explores the potential of tools to apply the biodiversity data as such, or in combination with other categories of data. In addition, ENBI focuses on the market of end-users with special attention on processes to develop specific products and services. A strong network will be established and maintained by bringing together the major stakeholders in the field of biodiversity information. Members of the network are the co-ordinating institutes of past and current EU biodiversity projects, and the (designated) institutes that act as, or host, the national GBIF-nodes. Also the NAS countries are represented in ENBI. The activities of ENBI are co-ordinated with those of the European Community Clearing-House Mechanism and the European Environmental Agency.

Anticipated results

ENBI will enhance the communication and co-operation between GBIF-nodes, biodiversity institutes and relevant initiatives in Europe. It will identify priorities with respect to mobilizing biodiversity information and establish provisions for joint approaches at the European scale. ENBI will establish communication platforms, provide guideline documents and initiate the development of relevant IT tools. The network is expected to evolve into a consortium with a core set of activities that will address and co-ordinate the variety of databases, interoperability, services, dissemination and legal and financial issues at a European level. ENBI will contribute to the sustainable use of biodiversity