Innovative financing mechanisms for biodiversity: what can Mexico and Europe learn from each other?

IEEP and partners compare innovative biodiversity financing mechanisms in the EU and Mexico and suggest recommendations for mutual learning.

Integration approach to EU biodiversity financing

Fitness Check of the Birds and Habitats Directives

The Nature Directives (i.e. Birds Directive and Habitats Directive) are the key instruments of EU environmental policy; the Fitness Check support study, carried out by Milieu, IEEP and ICF for the European Commission DG-ENV, examined their effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, EU-added value and their coherence with the wider acquis.

The UK Referendum: what it means for the environment and for IEEP

The UK’s referendum result has implications for environmental outcomes in the UK and across Europe: IEEP will be working to ensure the risks are understood and managed.

Potential policy and environmental consequences of Brexit

If the UK decides to leave the EU following the referendum in June, there would be significant consequences, not only for policy, law, and trade relations, but for the environment.

A New Vision for Responsible Renewable Energy with a Clear European Dimension

Renewable energy is key to the decarbonisation of Europe’s energy supply, however, the scale of expansion needed will have significant impacts over a considerable area. This new report suggests how a resource efficient energy system might be delivered in a way that minimises and mitigates impacts on biodiversity and the wider environment.

Conference on the Fitness Check of EU Nature Legislation

As part of the fitness check of the EU Nature Directives, the European Commission is organising a high-level conference in Brussels on 20 November. The purpose of the conference is to present and discuss the emerging findings from the assessment of evidence and information gathered during the process.

How is favourable conservation status being defined across the EU?

The core objective of both nature directives is to achieve a favourable conservation status of European protected habitats and species. An understanding of how these criteria for conservation status have been interpreted and implemented across the Member States is important as greater uniformity in the interpretation could improve the quality of biodiversity reporting at the European level.

Public consultation on EU Nature legislation ‘Fitness Check‘ launched

The ‘Fitness Check’ on EU Nature legislation has moved to a new phase with the launch of an online public consultation. The consultation allows all interested parties throughout the European Union to share their views on the legislation.

Access IEEP’s definitive guide to European environmental policy

The award-winning Manual of European Environmental Policy is now available on IEEP’s website. This archive provides free access to the definitive guide to the development of European environmental policy.

The Manual: Chapter 9 - Biodiversity

This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. In this chapter the development of the EU biodiversity policy framework is explored, including the Birds and Habitats Directive and other legislation on Genetically Modified Organisms, for example.

IEEP to support the European Commission’s nature legislation fitness check

As part of its Smart Regulation policy the European Commission is to undertake a Fitness Check of EU Nature legislation, which will comprise a comprehensive assessment of whether the regulatory framework is “fit for purpose”. IEEP is part of a consortium, led by Milieu, that has been awarded the study contract to support the Commission in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check.

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.

High Nature Value farming throughout EU-27 and its financial support under the CAP

This study reviews Member States’ estimates of the extent of HNV farmland and use of RDP measures and the CMEF indicators, then identifies future priorities for CAP support for HNV farming and discusses the support opportunities under the reformed CAP. It offers detailed new evidence about the combined effect of Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 CAP payments on the economic and environmental viability of a typical HNV farming system in three Member States.

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.

Policy Options to Achieve No Net Loss of Biodiversity

A new IEEP led study concludes that mandatory biodiversity offsetting is required to achieve no net loss of biodiversity in the EU, but its introduction could be counter-productive if it is not introduced cautiously and regulated strictly. The first priority should be to better implement existing nature conservation measures.

Environmental policy and the UK’s review of the EU Balance of Competences

The UK Government’s Balance of Competences review has now taken evidence on 25 subject areas, including the 6 with the most relevance for the Environment. We take stock of the IEEP’s contributions, and consider what a possible UK renegotiation might mean for the environment.

Does the EU benefit the UK environment?

This report considers how environmental policy in the EU effects the UK and looks at some alternatives. Overall the impact within the environmental domain can be judged to be strongly positive to the UK. The action taken has been well balanced, with benefits for human health and welfare and the sustainability of the economy as well as the environment itself.