PESI, the Pan-European Species Directories Infrastructure, is a biodiversity information initiative that supports the accurate use and classification of species names across Europe. Its portal presents the first all-taxa inventory of European species, bringing together information on animals and plants to help users manage biodiversity data more reliably. Visitors can search for taxa, refine searches, view taxonomic matches, and consult nomenclators, statistics, and web services.

The database also distinguishes accepted taxa and provides common-name and species-highlighting options. Example records span many groups, including plants, fungi, invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals. PESI’s resources are intended to provide a taxonomic backbone for European biodiversity information, as described in its scientific publication.

The project was funded through the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research Infrastructures from 2008 to 2011. The portal is hosted and developed by VLIZ, with data aggregated and merged by BGBM. PESI offers citations for its database and related research, and provides contact information for users seeking further details