The mires of Western Europe are perhaps the major type of habitat in the region that is of global importance for conservation. They are as well represented in Europe as in any other part of the world, with many distinct and unique types surviving. Mires, wherever they occur, are being destroyed at ever-increasing rates, and measures for their conservation need to be effectively co-ordinated at regional and international levels. The author, who is Symposium Secretary of the International Mire Conservation Group, describes the problems faced by mires in Europe.