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CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
to host the
8th EUROPEAN CONGRESS OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2026

The Board of Directors of the SCB Europe Region is seeking expressions of interest to host the 8th ECCB in 2026.

After the success of previous ECCB meetings (2006 Eger, Hungary; 2009 Prague, Czech Republic; 2012 Glasgow, Scotland; 2015 Montpellier, France; 2018 Jyväskylä, Finland and 2022 Prague, Czech Republic), and currently preparing the 7th ECCB in Bologna 2024, we expect that the next congress will be well-attended with more than 1000 participants.

Expressions of interest should contain the following (max. 2 A4 pages):

  1. The location (city, venue) and host organization.
  2. The local organisers and contact details.
  3. The advantages of this location in terms of accessibility, transport and infrastructure; and provide a brief summary of conference facilities.
  4. Information on academic partners. We consider the strong involvement of a local university with conservation education and research programmes.
  5. The attractiveness of this location from a natural history and ecological perspective.
  6. Information on how the venue can take leadership in environmentally friendly conferences, including transport, catering, recycling of waste, etc.
  7. Suggestion for the timing of the conference, with justification.
  8. Special accommodation possibilities to attract student participants.

We expect that the conference will generate a sizeable profit. Profit will be share between SCB Europe Region and the host organisation. However, interested host organisations must agree to take full financial responsibility for the congress in case of any loss.

Please send your Expressions of Interest to the SCB Europe Region contact person Petr Zasadil (zasadil@fzp.czu.cz) by 15 December 2023. You can also contact Petr Zasadil for further information or to consult your plans or ideas.

All Expressions of Interest will be reviewed at the SCB Europe Region Board of Directors meeting in January 2023 including a decision on who will be invited to submit full proposals.

ECCB 2024 - Italy

S A V E THE DATE

7th European Congress of Conservation Biology will take place at the University of Bologna, Italy, 17-21 June 2024. Please share!

ECCB 2022 - Czech Republic

The 6th European Congress of Conservation Biology with the theme “Biodiversity crisis in a changing world” is planned for August 22 – 26, 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic and organized by the Czech University of Life Sciences. You can preregister now for the congress at https://www.eccb2022.eu/en/pre-register. The call for Symposia & Workshops & Training Courses will open for applications on 15th of June, 2021. More info at https://www.eccb2022.eu/

ECCB 2018 - Finland

The 5th ECCB2018 focused on conservation and sustainable management of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems including inland lakes with an aspiration to balance human resource exploitation and nature conservation for planetary wellbeing - the theme of ECCB2018. The planetary wellbeing – a concept that captures the wellbeing of people as well as the integrity and sustainability of Earth's ecosystems. ECCB2018 provided a forum to discuss and develop solutions for some of the greatest challenges faced by humanity by bringing together natural and social scientists, practitioners, industry members and government decision-makers. More info at https://conbio.org/mini-sites/eccb2018

ICCB-ECCB 2015 - France

In a historic move, the SCB Europe Region hosted the International Congress for Conservation Biology by combining 4th ECCB with the global SCB conference on the Mediterranean coast. We expected that the normal high standard of talks and accompanying events would attract a typical ICCB audience from around the world whilst European delegates benefitted from special events with a regional focus. In line with the conference theme, “Mission biodiversity: choosing new paths for conservation”, we organised a novel mix of interactive components to facilitate collaborations between conservationists that may not ordinarily cross paths.

ECCB 2012 - Scotland, UK

The 3rd European Congress of Conservation Biology was held in Glasgow, Scotland (UK) in 2012 with the theme of “Conservation on the Edge” to reflect Scotland’s position on the Atlantic seaboard of Europe. The meeting had a strong policy emphasis including a ‘policy note’ exhibition and the production of the 3rd ECCB Policy Statement which can be read here

ECCB 2009 - Czech Republic

The 2nd meeting took place in Prague, from September 1st to 5th, 2009, focusing on the theme “Conservation Biology and beyond: from science to practice”. It was hosted by the Czech University of Life Sciences.

ECCB 2006 - Hungary
A European milestone: the 1st European Congress of Conservation Biology

The European Region of the Society for Conservation Biology, and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest organised the 1st ever conservation biology meeting on 22-26 August 2006, in Eger, Hungary. The theme of the meeting was "Diversity for Europe," reflecting the variability of Europe’s biology and culture, and also the diversity of ways nature conservation acts. The meeting had over 1000 participants, representing all but one European countries, and the full range of conservation biology from applied ecology, GMO, climate change to planning and managing nature conservation. The list of plenary speakers included top scientists from Europe and from other continents, like John Lawton and Georgina Mace and Robert Pressey, and prominent EU stakeholders, like Ladislav Miko, director of Nature Conservation of DG Environment. A large number of exhibitors, active media coverage and various field trips and social programs contributed to the success of the congress.