Overview
IEEP has a long track record of analysing the design and implementation of water, marine and fisheries legislation in the EU, such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) along with its many ‘supporting’ directives.
IEEP has been working on the evolution of EU and international marine and fisheries policy for almost two decades, including the establishment, implementation and funding of marine protected areas, policies and instruments to tackle marine litter pollution and fisheries governance.
Highly influential projects carried out by IEEP have helped shape the design, implementation and evaluation of EU water policy, such as the Water Blueprint, the Fitness Check and the Common Implementation Strategy of the Water Framework Directive, and the Blue 2 study on supporting policy-making on freshwater and the marine environment.
Regarding work in this area, please contact Andrew Farmer.
Highlights
IEEP organised a special session at the Natural Capital Initiative 2019 summit to discuss the socio-economic benefits that marine protected areas can provide to local communities, and the management and governance strategies required to realise them.
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’s Mia Pantzar attended the 10th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative held in Monaco at the Oceanographic Museum on 24th and 25th March to discuss the next steps for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and ecosystem services in the blue economy.
IEEP has developed a bottom-up, multicriteria methodology to assess costs and benefits of EU water policy, which has been applied in eight river basin districts across the EU. A similar methodology could support progress towards a number of EU, national and international policy objectives at the river basin and local level, including the achievement of SDGs.
New report on the implementation of the EU water policy shows a positive trend, but more effort is needed to meet the objectives.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an important policy tool for protecting vulnerable marine and coastal species and habitats.
By supporting the resilience of ecosystems, MPAs may also maintain and generate goods and services that can benefit different sectors in the “blue” European economy. However, MPAs are often seen as primarily imposing restrictions and costs on economic activities, creating aversion toward their establishment and protection.
The final report of an IEEP-led study for the Pacific Community entitled ‘Towards greener taxes and subsidies in Pacific Island Countries and Territories’.
Download the IEEP 2018 calendar to stay up to date with the most important dates for European and international environmental policy.
To register your interest, visit http://Think2030.eu.
Based on the views of 50 EU experts, this report explores the use of ecosystem services in pursuit of a greener Blue Economy in Europe.
A newly published study for the European Commission by IEEP and partners investigates civil society’s role in improving the effectiveness of environmental taxes to reduce pollution and better manage natural resources.
IEEP is a partner in the newly-funded Horizon 2020 project CLAIM (Cleaning marine Litter by developing and Applying Innovative Methods).
In November, IEEP will lead three workshops in French Polynesia, Vanuatu and Fiji, looking at how to green taxes and subsidies in various economic sectors.
IEEP and partners produce a suite of 40 case studies on economic instruments from around the EU that address pollution and resource use.
Globally, around 12.7 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste enter the ocean every year (Jambeck et al., 2015). This is equivalent to each citizen of the world dumping almost 2 kg of plastic in the ocean annually. Plastics and marine litter are one of the biggest environmental challenges of today. They are not only an eyesore, but represent major risks to human health and biodiversity, as well as to many sectors of the economy. So far global leadership and action on this issue has been lacking, but this is changing.
IEEP held a one-day conference in Brussels on 5 October 2017 to present the findings of a major study for the European Commission on the use of market-based instruments to address pollution and resource use.
Researchers Emma Watkins, Patrick ten Brink, Sirini Withana, Marianne Kettunen, Daniela Russi, Konar Mutafoglu, Jean-Pierre Schweitzer, and Giulia Gitti contributed to a chapter on the socio-economic impact of marine litter, the cost of policy inaction and action for the United Nations Environment Programme.
The IEEP response to the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee’s inquiry about the future of fisheries following the vote by the UK to leave the European Union.
The United Nations Environment’s second Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on marine litter was created to educate participants at all levels and backgrounds to take action on marine litter. IEEP contributed content to the course, and it is available for free here.
IEEP contributed to a major international report leading to a UN Environment Assembly Resolution calling for global action on marine plastic litter and microplastics.
