IEEP contributes to free online course on marine litter for United Nations Environment

Natura 2000 and Jobs – Scoping the Evidence

The European Natura 2000 network provides job opportunities in sectors ranging from conservation and restoration, agriculture, forestry, fisheries to tourism, recreation, and health.

Access to Nature Reduces Health Inequalities: An IEEP Briefing

Improving access to nature can help address health and social challenges across Europe and reduce health inequalities.

Limits to the circular economy?

The transition to a circular economy is a priority for Europe and an opportunity for many businesses. There is need for scrutiny amongst policy makers to ensure that ecological and socio-economic objectives are met.

Tackling marine litter with the circular economy and the EU Plastics Strategy

IEEP identifies how the EU Plastics Strategy and Circular Economy Action Plan provide a unique opportunity to address marine litter and its impacts.

Plastics, Marine Litter and the Circular Economy

Briefing and three product fiches explore circular economy solutions for reducing the flow of plastic waste into the oceans.

How can Planetary Boundaries guide environmental policy in Europe and globally?

Planetary Boundaries are a scientific approach to exploring critical thresholds to resource use. How can this concept become relevant for policymakers?

Socio-economic benefits of EU Marine Protected Areas

They are more than just a nature conservation tool – a study by IEEP shows how EU Marine Protected Areas help to maintain and improve the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services and related socio-economic benefits.

Wildlife crime and the EU

Wildlife crime threatens global biodiversity. The EU is both a destination and a transit region for illegally-traded products. A new study for the European Parliament summarises the situation in Europe and offers policy recommendations in view of the upcoming EU Action Plan. A set of in-depth case studies outline the situation in five EU countries.

New report: assessing the benefits of marine protected areas

Marine Protected Areas provide a range of benefits to human wellbeing, including providing food, mitigating climate change and creating opportunities for recreation and tourism. Further steps are needed to assess and communicate these benefits, this way supporting marine conservation both globally and in the EU.

Benefits of marine protected areas in the context of EU’s Natura 2000 network

A scoping study by IEEP outlines a step-wise methodology to assess the overall benefits provided by the EU’s marine Natura 2000 network.

New open access book on marine litter

A new book, 'Marine Anthropogenic Litter', has been published comprising 16 chapters on various aspects of the complex issue of litter in the world’s oceans. Researchers from IEEP contributed a chapter on the economics of marine litter. The whole book is free to view online.

Paper on the challenges of taking account of long timescales in the management of Europe’s regional seas

There many physical, biological and social characteristics of marine systems which are slow to change. Understanding these is important if marine managers are to develop effective targets and measures to deliver environmental improvements.

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 1 - Policy framework

This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. In this chapter, the reader is introduced to European environmental policy, EU institutions and agencies, and the development of EU treaties.

The Manual: Chapter 5 - Water and marine

This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. In this chapter the development of EU water pollution policy is explored, including the Water Framework Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and other directives and policies covering flooding; water scarcity; and dangerous substances in water.

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.

Greener Britain: Practical proposals for party manifestos from the environment and conservation sector

A coalition of the UK’s leading environmental groups, including IEEP, is calling for all political parties to commit to a greener Britain by 2020 by pledging seven major priorities to reform the way we use energy, build communities and protect nature.