Place et atouts des prairies permanentes en France et en Europe

This text specifies the current status and recent evolution of permanent grassland in Europe and France, and reviews the main services provided by grassland. Grassland covers up to 40% of the European agricultural land.Permanent grassland covers 57 million ha and temporary grassland 10 million ha. Total grassland acreage dropped significantly between 1960 and 2003. Total loss is estimated at 30% which is to say over 7 million ha lost in Europe and 4 million ha lost in france. Grassland in Europe is characterised bt a rich biodiversity, sown grassland and indigenous vegatation; its level of production is highly variable, as is its distribution in different countries.This agricultural cover is all the more important because it is multifunctional and has a considerable environmental and social impact. Grassland provides a wide range of ecosystem services (carbon sequestration, protecting biodiversity, preserving soil quality and purifying drinking water ...) which are increasingly being recognized and taken into account by public bodies in charge of policy making.