At least 90% of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) of the European market originate from natural resources, what represents the loss of about 20.000 to 30.000 tons of raw materials annually. Excessive utilization of wild MAP from natural habitats, and environmental degradation due to human activities are the main reasons why MAP are often considered as endangered in many European regions. Conservation programs on medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) aimed at conservation of natural heredity, at improvement of the biological knowledge as well as of the safe use of MAP should be urged in EU countries. Inventory and monitoring of endangered MAP species and their ex situ maintenance are important parts of the national programs. Preparation of relevant descriptors (based on morphological characteristics, chemo-taxonomy and end-product quality requirements) and successive evaluation of ecotypes of MAP will accelerate the selection and breeding work / cultivar development.

Herbal remedies, the most important category of OTC products, are assuming an increasing use in preventive healthcare system and represent a way of lowering of the primary healthcare costs in many developed countries with high level of self-medication. World wide annual growth rate for herbal medicines in the OTC market was estimated at 12-15% (Baričevič, 2000).

Increased global interest in medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP)' use and increasing demand on raw materials by various processing industries (pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, perfume,...) resulted in a vast and expanding market for MAP (an average 10% annual growth in the European market) in the last decade. TRAFFIC Network plans a series of medicinal plant projects to assess the impact of the trade of both wild plant populations and local health-care systems (Lange, 1998). In Western Europe alone, medicinal plant consumption is estimated to have doubled in the past decade. The sales of 7 billion USD of OTC herbal remedies were estimated in the European area (Benzi and Ceci, 1997; Lange, 1998, Blumenthal, 1998). Germany holds the biggest share with 3.5 billion USD per year, followed by France (1.8 billion USD), Italy (700 millions USD), United Kingdom (400 millions USD), Spain (300 millions USD), the Netherlands (100 millions USD) and other EU countries (130 millions USD) (Blumenthal, 1998). An average spend on herbal remedies per EU citizen was estimated to be 19.1 USD per capita per year.

Increasing demand on MAP is placing pressure on natural resources since most species used in herbal preparations are still collected in the wild. In Europe, at least 2000 MAP are used on a commercial basis, of which 1200 - 1300 plant species are native to Europe. According to Traffic International (Lange, 1998) 90 % of MAP native to Europe are wild collected for commercial use. The reason lies in lower prices of wild collected plant material when compared to that of cultivated plant material. The overall volume of wild collected plant material in Europe is estimated to be about 20.000 - 30.000 tons annually. Wild collection is particularly prominent in Albania, Turkey, Hungary and Spain. Analysis of trade data revealed that Europe imports about a quarter of annual global market imports (440 000 tons valued at 1.3 billion USD in 1996). 60 % of imports to Europe come from non-European countries, mainly from Asia and Africa. Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK are among the 12 leading countries of import and Germany, Bulgaria and Poland are among the 12 leading countries of export.

Biodiversity of MAP as a tool in quality assurance of raw materials

As a consequence of global actuality of the use of MAP and their products, the care for preservation of genetic variability of wild plant species and of their ecosystems became topical. Different professional disciplines are interested in conservation and evaluation of MAP:

Pharmaceutical and other processing industries (cosmetic, food, beverage...) developed the actual idea of prospecting for either new active compounds and new herbal medicines or other natural products. Quality assurance became the essential component for drugs' market competition. The Rules governing the medicinal products of EC (OJ-EC/2444/18.7.1989) have been ratified. These rules emphasize that consistent quality for products of vegetable origin can only be assured if the starting materials are defined in a rigorous and detailed manner.

Agricultural institutes recognized, that standardized raw material, issuing from cultivation (wished for by processing industries) can only be assured through selection work and breeding of known population characteristics, based on genetic biodiversity/variability preserved in nature. In last few years an intensive cultivar development, resulting in more than 20 new cultivars of MAP, was registered in Germany (Bomme, 1998).

In situ conservation

Massive exploitation of wild MAP from natural habitats for market supply and natural degradation of vegetation/flora due to anthropogenic factors are the main reasons, why MAP are often considered as endangered and/or threatened species in many European regions. This was the reason, why many countries started with systematic programs of in situ conservation of MAP like in Lithhuania, where the investigations on spontaneous MAP have started already in 1981(Radusiene et al., 1996) or in Bulgaria (Genova, 2000). Based on the inventory of rare and endangered MAP, that are still present in natural habitats, the need for enhancing MAP conservation efforts was emphasised in Bulgaria (Angelova, 1994).

In situ conservation is often a part of genebank conservation strategies (like in Nordic genebank or in Italy, where MAP are maintained in situ through national parks, biosphere reserves or through on-farm conservation strategies (Blixt et al., 1994; Perrino and Begemann, 1994).

Vegetation and flora in Slovenia are fairly degraded, what can be attributed to antropogenic factors and habitat loss. That's why already in 80-ies Slovenian botanists have made efforts in making an inventory of Slovenian flora, aimed at securing basis for conservation of remaining natural resources of rare and/or endangered species. The result of this intensive research work is "The Red Data List of Threatened Vascular Plants in Slovenia" (1989), edited by Institute for the conservation of natural and cultural heritage of Slovenia. This document is based on IUCN categories and is the result of classification of threatened plants according to the degree of threat (Wraber, 1989).

Of approximately 3000 plant species known to be autochthonous or well adapted to Slovenian climate centuries ago, about 10% are estimated to be endangered (34 have been injured, 77 vulnerable, 192 are rare) (Aljančič et al., 1995). Slovenia is concerned about the preservation of natural resources of medicinal plants (there are over 100 autochthonous species with potential medicinal properties). In Slovenia, in situ inventarization/monitoring of the natural populations of MAP started in 1999 and is planned to be continued in the future by one expedition per year. Considering the principle of sustainable use, natural populations of MAP (Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Plantago lanceolata L. Plantago major L., Pimipinella major (L.) Huds., Gentiana lutea L., Arnica montana L., Achillea millefolium L, Hypericum perforatum L., Hypericum montanum L., Rhamnus catharticus L., Origanum vulgare L., Sedum maximum (L.) Krock, Satureja montana L., Agrimonia eupatoria L., Lamium album L., Solidago virgaurea L., Urtica dioica L., Anthyllis vulneraria L., Malva sylvestris L., Thymus serpyllum L, Potentilla erecta (L.) Räuschel, Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne subsp. rostkoviana, Tussilago farfara L., Pimpinella saxifraga L., Veronica chamaedrys L.....) are successively included in the National Collection of MAP, where further activities (multiplication of plant materials, morphological and/or chemical characterization, selection and other pre-breeding studies) needed for future cultivation purposes are foreseen.

Ex situ conservation

Characterization of a germplasm held within genbanks needs development of appropriate genebank technologies to ensure optimal maintenance of germplasm and its homogeneity (ripeness of harvested seeds, storage temperature and duration, propagation methods.). For example, Hungarian researchers have oriented their attention to the influence of seed ripeness and storage length on germination rate in fruits/seeds of Foeniculum vulgare, Carum carvi, Datura stramonium, Cnicus benedictus and Borago officinalis (Toth et al., 1996). Special efforts have been made within Genebank Gatersleben where propagation methods, pollination pattern and characterisation of accessions have been studied on many of maintained MAP accessions (Coriandrum, Ocimum, Mentha, Datura, Petroselinum, Hyoscyamus, Anethum, Plantago, Carthamus, Chrysanthemum, Melissa, Digitalis, Calendula, Foeniculum, Rheum, Carum, Nigella, Origanum, Ruta, Salvia, Satureja, Artemisia) (Diederichsen and Pank, 1996; Gladis et al., 1996).

International Organizations urge the need of MAP biodiversity conservation

Official medicine is interested in more detailed evaluation and scientific recognition of natural medicines. The WHO suggested that different countries should give the correct importance concerning the utilization of alternative systems of medicine and urge the scientific evaluation of traditional medicine through development of technical guidelines and international standards. on the other hand, WHO is concerned about natural resources of MAP because over 80% of world population still depends on traditional preparations (Hostettmann, 1998), that are prepared on the basis of wild-collected plant material. Uncontrolled over-exploitation of wild plants in trade, their habitat-loss and alteration are the main reasons why medicinal plants, their study, evaluation, utilization and conservation became essential parts of the programs of international organizations such as WHO, IUCN and WWF. These organizations agree, that a coordinated approach at a national or international level is necessary to conserve the large number of species used by man, that are at risk of extinction. Joint Plants Conservation Program (IUCN- International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, WWF- World Wide Fund for Nature) aims at giving conservation strategy of plants of economic value (medicinal plants and wild relatives of crop plants) through combining ex situ with in situ conservation of germplasm, the use of botanic gardens for ex situ conservation, and inventorying species conserved in situ (Heywood, 1989). Guidelines on the conservation of medicinal plants, prepared by WHO, IUCN & WWF in 1993 outline the role of international organizations in the conservation and sustainable utilization of MAP. This book provides guidelines for national strategies on:

basic studies on traditional knowledge on the use of plants in primary health care, including ethnobotanical surveys and plant identification;

utilization of plants, their cultivation, harvest and storage, the development of breeding programs, and the sustainable use of plants from the wild;

conservation of medicinal plants in situ and ex situ, development of public support for the conservation of these plants through education and campaigns.

When assessing the legislative regulations on herbal medicines in different countries, these largely depend on ethnological, medical and historical background of each country. On international level some MAP in trade are affected by international conventions or regulations:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, lists 47 species of MAP);

Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats - also known as the Bern Convention - was adopted on September 1979 in Bern (Switzerland) and came into force on 1 June 1982 (lists 6 species of MAP). It has 40 Contracting Parties including 35 member States of the Council of Europe as well as the European Union;

Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (lists 10 species of MAP) and

Council Regulation (EC) No. 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of wild fauna and flora by regulating trades therein (lists altogether 64 species of MAP).

When considering MAP conservation programs at the European level, no notable progress has been observed in last few years, mainly due to a missing concerted international action or agreed strategy between individual EU countries and also due to the fact, that the national governments neglected the importance of natural resources of MAP. So, the role of International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) as a driving force in advancing the conservation activities and use of MAP genetic resources seems imperative in future Europe. Through IPGRI's activities -like work on a genetic resources access policy, networking for neglected species, seed storage research, research on in situ conservation, and the production of various information products (Guarino et al.1999), and the European countries would strengthen the international collaboration and also promote national programs on MAP conservation. A proposal to establish an IPGRI's ECP/GR Working Group on MAP was advanced at the first meeting of the Minor Crops Network Coordinating Group. This coordinating body, composed of nine experts from different European countries, met 16 June 1999 in Turkey, Finland, with the objective of initiating activities of the network.

Cultivation of MAP as a tool in biodiversity conservation

Not only limitations, implemented by EU trade regulations on endangered MAP, but also the indispensable quality of raw materials, destined for standardized processing, prevent food-, cosmetic- and pharmaceutical industries to cover their needs for wild raw materials. It is well known, that many internal (genetic variation, inheritance, morphogenetic, ontogenetic variation) and external factors (environment) influence raw materials quality, which became one of the most important issues in the MAP market. Sustainable use of MAP in Europe can be achieved by further introduction of "wild" plants into cultivation. One of the most imperative actions in near future is to prepare an official list of the descriptors for MAP. These represent the documentation background for future selection work and prebreeding of plant material in direction of uniformity of chemical characteristics of plant raw materials, requested by food/ pharmaceutical industry and also for development of agrosystems. Also, sustainable cultivation technologies are to be applied to the field of MAP for safety reasons.

As a result of the national developmental programs in some European countries the acreage covered by MAP is rapidly increasing. Although few years ago the cultivation area of MAP at European level was estimated at 70.000 ha (Lange, 1998), current data reveal that MAP are cultivated already on an estimated 100 000 ha, the main countries being Hungary (about 40.000 ha) (Bernath, 2000), France (25.000 ha), Spain (19.000) (Dachler and Pelzmann, 1999), Germany (7.500 ha), Austria (4.300 ha) (Bomme, 1998), Yugoslavia (3000 ha) (Kišgeci and Sekulovič, 2000). Also in Italy cultivation of MAP has been successfully intensified (Lavandula officinalis, Lavandula hybrida, Iris germanica, Salvia officinalis, Gentiana lutea, Chamomilla recutita, Thymus vulgaris ...) in recent years, and the area of MAP under cultivation was estimated at 2.300 ha in 1996 (Dachler and Pelzmann, 1999). In terms of number of plant species, still only 130-140 plant species are estimated to be cultivated at the European area.

Conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of MAP represent the basis for new cultivars development and quality assurance of raw materials used in target processing industries (pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic...) and thus an economic potential of the country. Conservation programs aimed at conservation of natural heredity, at improvement of the biological knowledge as well as of the safe use of MAP should be urged in EU countries. Inventory and monitoring of endangered MAP species and their ex situ maintenance are important parts of national programs. Preparation of relevant descriptors (based on morphological characteristics, chemo-taxonomy and end-product quality requirements) and successive evaluation of ecotypes of MAP will accelerate the selection and breeding work/cultivar development. Development of agrosystems and cultivation of MAP based on the data of market demand of raw materials are the most efficient tools in conservation of MAP's natural habitats in future. The role of international organization (like IPGRI), that would cover an umbrella in further development of MAP conservation strategies in Europe would highly advance the knowledge on natural heredity of MAP and establish the need of its protection on the national levels.

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