The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international legally-binding treaty which pursues three main goals: the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. The Convention was presented in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, and entered into force in 1993, after being ratified by 30 parties, including the European Union. Italy ratified the Convention in 1994. This article analyses the strategies set out by the European Commission and the Italian government respectively, in the attempt of halting or significantly reducing the current rate of biodiversity loss.