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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Biodiversity Policy & Instruments
The EU has a well-established biodiversity conservation policy framework that has provided major benefits for biodiversity in Europe. IEEP has a strong track record of assessing and advising on the implementation, monitoring and enforcement of EU policy for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Our work, with partners, helps to strengthen the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the Habitats and Birds Directives and the Natura 2000 network. We seek to improve our knowledge of the status of biodiversity in Europe and globally, and highlight the cost of policy inaction.
IEEP continues to be instrumental in developing nature conservation policy and other sectoral policies to support biodiversity and ecosystem services. We are advancing the Biodiversity Strategy objective of ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity, by identifying policy measures to avoid and minimise negative impacts on biodiversity, and to offset residual impacts tools.
IEEP has helped to establish a structured process to minimize harmful impacts of EU spending and maximise the biodiversity benefits through our work on ‘biodiversity proofing’ EU funding instruments such as those under the Common Agricultural Policy, Common Fisheries Policy, Cohesion Policy. Our work has also helped to develop policy measures to support the concept of green infrastructure, by assessing its potential costs and benefits, and identifying policies that could support its enhancement.
This briefing gives an overview of the state of knowledge and current application of biodiversity footprint methods and tools in the EU, and identifies key future needs and opportunities for using these methods to support more sustainable decision-making.
What kind of information does the European Union need to get serious about implementing the Green New Deal? One critical aspect is finding out the impacts that its consumption and production is having on biodiversity, both at home and in other parts of the world: its biodiversity footprint.
This guidance document provides key principles and best practices to mitigate the negative impacts of human activities on nature, and to achieve no net loss or, ideally, net gains in biodiversity and ecosystem services.
This briefing provides an overview of the wide range of socio-economic benefits that nature-based solutions can achieve alongside addressing the intertwined climate change and biodiversity loss crises.
To celebrate the annual Natura 2000 day, IEEP's biodiversity intern Anya Coutinho spoke to Dr Mike Clarke, who recently became an IEEP associate and is the former Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
The EU's new biodiversity strategy is an ambitious, constructive and coherent strategy that delivers on the commitment from the EU and its Member States to protect the living world and implement national strategies and action plans to achieve it.
There is unprecedented political momentum and window of opportunity for scaling up nature-based solutions for climate and well-being, with the existing experience base providing a solid foundation for this. Action on two fronts is required in creating an enabling environment to scale up existing initiatives and projects while developing a strategic vision and global movement for nature-based solutions.
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development. commissioned IEEP (through the Alliance Environment consortium) to undertake a formal evaluation of the CAP’s impact on habitats, landscapes and biodiversity.
Despite the alarming scale of biodiversity loss, the EU has not yet fully recognised the disastrous consequences that the scenario would have in the functioning of our ecosystems – not when it comes to political action, at least.
This policy brief intends to inform business and biodiversity professionals about innovative examples in the EU and Mexico that can help to transform the economics of nature conservation, resulting in increased finance for biodiversity.
Today we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity aiming at increasing understanding of the diversity of life on the planet and awareness of its importance for human development. IEEP takes the opportunity to share some key positive lessons from recent EU biodiversity action and identify key remaining challenges towards 2030.
IEEP has published a new report that presents success stories relating to habitats and species that are the focus of the EU nature directives and provides key lessons on effective approaches that can be shared to achieve better overall results. The study focuses on supporting EU action through better knowledge and evidence, and provides an important contribution to the current discussions on the EU and global biodiversity policy regime for the post-2020 era.
IEEP has published a new report that presents success stories relating to habitats and species that are the focus of the EU nature directives and provides key lessons on effective approaches that can be shared to achieve better overall results. The study focuses on supporting EU action through better knowledge and evidence, and provides an important contribution to the current discussions on the EU and global biodiversity policy regime for the post-2020 era.
With the 2030 benchmark in the horizon, the EU needs to step up the contribution of its trade policy to biodiversity and sustainable development. IEEP identifies concrete opportunities how improving the integration of protected areas into EU trade agreements will help to support global biodiversity conservation as well as multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs).
New study by IVM and IEEP concludes that the existing approach to assessing impacts of EU trade on biodiversity is inadequate. A more comprehensive approach building on more systematic use of biodiversity indicators and synchronized, fit-for-purpose use of different methods is needed.
The EU contributes to halting the global loss of biodiversity through conservation efforts within its own territory as well as at the global level. IEEP’s Marianne Kettunen explores the EU’s external biodiversity policy, arguing the need for a more coherent framework and effective implementation – and making the policy integral to EU’s action on SDGs at the global level.
Pollinator insects are essential to ecosystems and agriculture, but their populations are in decline. How can this issue be tackled in Europe? Your chance to reply.
