Innovative mechanisms for financing biodiversity conservation: A comparative summary of experiences from Mexico and Europe

IEEP and partners compared innovative biodiversity conservation funding mechanisms in the EU and Mexico.

Towards sustainability: Future policies for European livestock

The CAP is failing to reward adequately those livestock farmers who produce public goods. Brexit and CAP reform are opportunities to do better.

Improving environmental financing via result-based agri-environment measures

A new article by IEEP explores the use of result-based agri-environment measures in the region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The study shows that result-based schemes can increase the environmental effectiveness and conditionality of the EU Common Agricultural Policy.

New PEGASUS website

Project website for EU research project PEGASUS goes live!

Results-based agri-environment schemes: new report and guidance handbook available

Are you interested in developing and implementing a results-based payment scheme for farmland biodiversity? Together with experts from across Europe, IEEP has produced a range of useful resources to guide the future development of results-based agri-environment schemes in the EU and beyond.

Result-based agri-environment measures: market-based instruments, incentives or rewards?

Looking beyond Paris

The latest edition of IEEP's newsletter is now available. David Baldock argues that in the next six months the EU has a substantive role in contributing to agreement on an ambitious but credible set of SDGs and more stretching climate targets. Also: energy efficiency and security; bioeconomy; and circular economy.

EU research project PEGASUS - new thinking on sustainable land management

EU research project PEGASUS kicked off in London on 29-30 April. The three-year project, led by IEEP, is focused on transforming land management approaches in the EU to improve the delivery of public goods and ecosystem services from rural areas.

Challenges of achieving good environmental status in the Black Sea

Achieving Good Environmental Status in the Black Sea is particularly challenging due to governance structure. This paper explores this in relation to eutrophication and fisheries management.

Guidelines for biodiversity proofing the EU budget

This report provides a practical framework to ensure that spending under the EU budget has no negative impacts on biodiversity, and that spending under the EU budget is overall supportive to achieving the biodiversity targets.

Guidance handbook for financing Natura 2000

An updated ‘Financing Natura 2000 Guidance Handbook’ aims to inform national stakeholders about opportunities for financing the management of Natura 2000 sites through various EU funds during the 2014-2020 period.

New guidance for farmland management in Natura 2000

New guidance for farmland management in Natura 2000 gives agricultural and conservation authorities a step-by-step guide to management and funding measures and practical advice on habitat and species management.

Sustainable intensification of European agriculture

The concept of sustainable intensification has come into prominence in the context of global food security. This report defines what we mean by sustainable intensification, explains its global logic, discusses what it means for EU agriculture and exemplifies this in three case studies for soil performance, nutrient recycling and biodiversity.

New report: High Nature Value Farming in the EU

Member States need to make the most of the opportunities under the new Common Agricultural Policy if the declines in HNV farming, critical for meeting our 2020 biodiversity targets, are to be halted.

Interactions between climate change and agriculture; and between biodiversity and agriculture in Europe

What should be Europe’s role in feeding the world in 2050? This IEEP report for the European Parliament describes options for increasing the productivity of European agriculture whilst adapting to climate change, reducing emissions, and providing biodiversity and ecosystem service benefits from agriculture.

Environment undermined in CAP deal

An attempt by the European Commission to place the environment more centrally within agricultural policy has been comprehensively watered down in the final agreement.

A greener CAP: still within reach?

The greening of the CAP hangs in the balance in the final negotiations; a synthesis of key issues and requirements.

Greening the CAP - how ‘equivalent’ are alternative approaches?

A contentious issue in the negotiations on the future of the CAP is how to implement the proposed new green direct payments to farmers. However, proposals to increase flexibility for Member States will not necessarily be administratively any simpler and may risk weakening environmental outcomes.

Biodiversity proofing of the EU budget

This study shows how more can be done to firstly avoid and minimize detrimental impacts of EU funding on biodiversity, and secondly to increase biodiversity benefits.