The European Commission launched a €7 million call for tenders to pilot the EU Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC). The concept was first proposed by researchers — many based at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) — through the Horizon 2020 project EuropaBON, led by Professor Henrique Pereira of iDiv and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).
This tender marks a major step toward building a coordinated, policy-relevant biodiversity monitoring system across Europe. The EBOCC aims to streamline biodiversity data collection, improve data accessibility, and reduce reporting burdens for Member States — all while supporting the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal.
iDiv member and MLU Professor Dr Ingolf Kühn, who is also Head of the Research Unit Ecosystems of the Future at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, and Professor Dr Aletta Bonn, Head of the Biodiversity and People research group at UFZ, iDiv and Friedrich Schiller University Jena, contributed to the user and policy needs assessment. iDiv member and MLU Professor Dr Helge Bruelheide, and Dr Néstor Fernández, researcher at iDiv and MLU, worked on showcasing how a number of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) could inform EU policy. All were involved in the co-design of the monitoring system.
Launched in 2021, EuropaBON was designed to bridge the gap between biodiversity data providers and the needs of policymakers. Over three years, the project delivered a number of different tools to support evidence-based policy: mapping existing data workflows, identifying bottlenecks and knowledge gaps, proposing a set of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), and co-designing a modern observation system tailored to EU policy needs.
The EBOCC proposal, presented in Brussels in 2024, is the project’s most policy-relevant outcome to date. With the European Commission’s preparatory action now underway, this vision is moving toward implementation. Over the next 36 months, the pilot will test and refine the EBOCC framework, enhancing the availability, coherence, and usability of biodiversity data across Europe.
Related materials
EU call for tenders for the EBOCC
EuropaBON proposal for the EU Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre
Contact
Dr Andrés Mármol-Guijarro
Scientific Coordinator EuropaBON
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (IDiv)
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Phone: +49 341 9739229
Email: a.marmol@idiv.de
Website: www.europabon.org