There are approximately 1100 species of bats, representing approximately twenty-five percent of all mammalian species on Earth. Having nearly no natural enemies, bats are amongst the animals that have suffered the most from increased agricultural and forest exploitation, as well as the degradation of the countryside. Many of their traditional roost sites have been lost and their habitats and feeding areas have been reduced. These changes have been compounded by the public’s prejudices against them.

The Agreement

Following a resolution adopted by the first CMS Conference of the Parties to develop an Agreement to protect all European bats, EUROBATS was concluded under CMS auspices in December 1991 in London, United Kingdom. The Secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany. It entered into force on 16 January 1994. From the very beginning the Parties to CMS saw EUROBATS as a prototype for similar Agreements addressing endangered bat species on other continents.

The EUROBATS Agreement area covers 63 Range States and territories in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East (plus the European Union). The geographic area stretches from Northern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains. An up to date list of the Agreement’s Parties is found in its Agreement Summary Sheet.

EUROBATS applies to all European populations of 45 bat species - whether migratory or not - occurring in Europe and non-European Range States. The aim of EUROBATS is to conserve these bats through legislation, education, conservation measures and international co-operation amongst Agreement Parties and with those countries that have not yet joined.

EUROBATS sets up legal protection standards, while developing and promoting transboundary conservation and management strategies, research and public awareness across the Agreement area. It also assists in finding financial support for mainly cross-border oriented projects.

EUROBATS has developed a wide-ranging Conservation and Management Plan, which is the key instrument for the Agreement’s implementation. It addresses issues such as legal requirements, population survey and monitoring, roosts, foraging habitats, the use of pesticides and the promotion of public and professional awareness.

The European Bat Night – Awareness Raising for Bats

The European Bat Night is held simultaneously in several countries all over Europe at the end of August of each year. It aims to provide facts to the public about the life of bats, to highlight reasons why bats are endangered species and to present possible conservation strategies. The public, media, scientific institutions, NGOs and governmental authorities have been tremendously enthusiastic about the event.

Further information:

UNEP/EUROBATS Secretariat, Hermann-Ehlers-Strasse 10, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: +49-228-815 2421 Fax: +49-228-815 2445
E-mail: eurobats@eurobats.org website: http://www.eurobats.org