The latest edition of IEEP’s newsletter is now available:

• Editorial ‘Trading in the dark’ – There is a disconcerting contrast between the rather dramatic events that have overtaken the EU’s Emission Trading System and the stance of both the Council and the Commission.
• IEEP’s Biofuel ExChange influences EU biofuels policy – IEEP’s Biofuel ExChange project team has been working hard to help decision makers understand some of the subtleties of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) and their importance when making biofuel policy decisions.
• Reducing marine litter from ships – Marine litter is an increasing threat to the health of European and global marine ecosystems, with costly environmental, economic and social consequences. One source of this pollution is ships which illegally discharge their waste into the sea.
• Nature as the cornerstone for well-being in Nordic countries – Nature is considered valuable in and of itself, but also provides a range of benefits that fuel the global economy and underpin human and societal well-being. Following the global initiative of “The” Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), Nordic Council of Ministers and its Finnish Presidency decided in 2011 to initiate a ‘Nordic TEEB’ to gather information on the socio-economic role and significance of nature in the Nordic countries.
• Environmental complaint handling – An IEEP study has concluded that gradual harmonisation of Member States’ approaches to handling complaints about breaches of environmental law and environmental mediation could have major benefits for the EU.
• The importance of land as an environmental resource – How can we meet the different and often conflicting demands we make on our limited supply of rural land in Europe? IEEP’s latest report argues for greater attention to be given to solutions that use less land.