BC Europe is ten years old this year, so a good time to take stock of what has been achieved and what challenges lie ahead.

BC Europe was formed in 2004 following meetings between Dutch BC and BC-UK about the need to tackle the rapid decline of butterflies across Europe. The Red Data Book of European butterflies published in 1999 showed that 12% of Europe’s 576 butterflies were threatened and many more were declining rapidly. BC had also organised four International Symposia where speaker after speaker had spoken of losses in their countries. So we knew all too well that the problems facing butterflies here in the UK were shared across Europe and that their conservation needed a pan-European approach.

As many countries had existing Lepidoptera societies and experts, we decided to form an umbrella body that helped co-ordinate existing organisations and stimulate new initiatives across Europe.

We were formed as a non-profit “stichting” based in the Netherlands so we could operate with minimum bureaucracy. We established a small Board and wrote a set of Operating Principles (borrowing heavily from our colleagues in Birdlife) so that we could appoint Network Partners in each country who agreed to work together for the common good. We also worked to a wide definition of Europe that spanned from Iceland to Spain and east to Turkey and the Russian Ural Mountains.

The response was enthusiastic and we soon assembled a thriving network which now stands at 45 organisations operating in 36 countries. We have also established contacts in most other countries to give almost total European coverage. We also decided on a set of priorities: Sustain an effective network; influence European policies; collate data on species distribution and trends across Europe; produce butterfly indicators; take action for threatened species; raise awareness of the value of butterflies and moths; and raise funds for the above. It was a tall order!

We had our first Partner meeting in Laufen, Germany, in 2007 and have met there in alternate years since. Many of us have also met at the frequent Symposia organised by BC (UK) and Dutch BC. One extremely positive result is that close friendships and productive collaborations have been formed, fulfilling one of our main objectives. We have also used the partnership in a number of ways to produce pan European information.

  1. A new Red List of European Butterflies published in 2010 showed that 10% of species were threatened even under the new strict IUCN criteria. Even more worrying, over half were declining and another 10% were close to being threatened.
  2. A Climatic Risk Atlas of butterflies (2008) showed that many butterflies were already responding to climate change by spreading north, and most species would suffer huge range contractions as the climate warmed. Under even the modest warming scenario of 2°C warming, half our butterflies would lose more than half their range, but if it gets to 4°C then one quarter would be close to extinction.
  3. A new Grassland Butterfly Indicator based on monitoring data from over 10 countries showed that numbers of 17 widespread grassland species had declined by 50% in 22 years. Some widespread UK species a faring very badly indeed: Wall (-72%) and Large Skipper (-49%).

We have also run some great projects showing how things could be improved including Prime Butterfly Area studies of Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey; Red Lists of Turkey and the Mediterranean; and a report on the Do’s and Don’ts for Butterflies of the EU Habitats Directive. To enlarge the monitoring network, we have produced a manual for butterfly monitoring that has been translated into several languages and a development plan for butterfly indicators. We have developed a Butterfly Indicator of climate change that shows how butterfly communities are lagging behind climate change. Finally, we have raised funds to conserve some of our most endangered species including the Macedonian Grayling Pseudochazara cingovskii and four endemic species in Spain.

Collectively, these projects have revealed how imperilled Europe’s butterfly fauna is and have given us vital scientific ammunition to lobby for better policies both in the EU and Council for Europe. We have been extremely fortunate that our policy advocacy has been led for many years by Sue Collins, a former Director of English Nature (the Government conservation agency in England), who has extensive knowledge of European policy as well as the relevant institutions. Sue worked for us in a voluntary capacity for several years and we now retain her on a small formal contract. Most of our policy advocacy is done through the European Habitats Forum, which brings together 17 NGOs including Birdlife and WWF. Sue has worked tirelessly for this group and for many years has been Vice Chair, leading discussions with EU officials.

So what have we achieved by our tenth birthday?

Firstly, we have documented the huge scale of the problem we face. Turning round the decline of so many species in so many countries is a mammoth task. Secondly, we have gathered a huge amount of expertise to better understand the problems and find possible solutions. Thirdly, we have begun to test practical projects that show how butterflies can be conserved by targeted effort at a landscape scale. The work of BC in the UK has been especially important in demonstrating successes. Fourthly, we have developed some wide partnerships that will be vital if we are to make the necessary policy shifts to underpin butterfly recovery.

The challenges remain daunting, but through the effort of BC Europe, we are now in a far better position to tackle them. The next ten years will be pivotal in putting our good ideas into practice and building a brighter future for Europe’s butterflies and moths.

Dr Martin Warren

BC Chief Executive

Follow me on Twitter @martinswarren