Water, Marine & Fisheries

Our Work

IEEP has a long track record of examining the challenges in the implementation of water, marine and fisheries legislation, primarily the Water Framework Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Common Fisheries Policy.

Our fisheries and marine work has a track record of analysing and commenting on the evolution of EU fisheries policies and related marine environmental initiatives for over 16 years. We have undertaken a number of projects and studies on specific areas such as fisheries governance, management and subsidies; policies and instruments to tackle marine litter pollution; and establishing, implementing and funding marine protected areas.

IEEP undertakes a wide range of work on EU water policy, focusing on the Water Framework Directive, but also on the many ‘supporting’ Directives. Our work includes highly influential projects for the Commission, such as supporting development of the Water Blueprint, Fitness Check and supporting the Common Implementation Strategy.  

Regarding work in this area, please contact Stephanie Newman.

Latest in Water, Marine & Fisheries

  • The importance of tackling environmental crime

    IEEP supported the final conference of the EU EFFACE project, focusing on the importance of adopting improved measures to tackle environmental crime.

  • 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.

  • Allocating fishing rights to the most sustainable fishers - practical recommendations

    One of its most important reforms in the new Common Fisheries Policy is the introduction of a requirement on Member States to use transparent and objective criteria of an environmental nature when allocating fishing opportunities. This report for RSPB makes recommendations for UK Governments on how to implement this requirement comprehensively and ambitiously.

  • The Manual: Front pages

    This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. This chapter provides information on the authors, editors and editorial board involved in the Manual, as well as guidance on how to use it, and a brief outline of its content.

  • The Manual: Chapter 13 - Sectoral policies

    This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. This chapter sets out the development of some of the most important links between EU environmental policy and other policy areas, such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, transport, trade, and so on.

  • 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.

  • Inland fisheries and the Common Fisheries Policy

    The reformed fisheries policy could lead to improvements in the state of commercial inland fisheries, if the measures are properly implemented, with the greatest potential coming from the strengthening of community-led local development.

  • 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.

  • The Ecosystem Approach in Marine Management

    The Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires Member States to apply an “ecosystem approach to marine management”. This report defines the ecosystem approach and puts it into context by describing the challenges of applying it across Europe’s seas.

  • Independent review of the EU Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Regulations

    This review highlights the potential of the EU IUU Regulation to deter illegal fishing and the challenges during the first 18 months of implementation.

  • El Anzuelo Volume 23

    European newsletter on fisheries and the environment.This issue: CFP reform

  • IEEP publishes CFP Health Check

    The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform process officially began in April 2009 with the launch of the Green Paper. The newly published CFP Health Check examines the CFP and progress made since 2002. It ...

  • Achieving Sustainable Fisheries conference: registration

    Registration is now open for the Achieving Sustainable Fisheries conference, to be held in Brussels, April 3, 2009.The current European Fisheries Policy hasn't delivered. IEEP is working with Baltic Sea ...

  • New report: INDENT, INDicators of ENvironmental inTegration

    The INDENT report quantifies, evaluates and interprets a suite of indicators selected by the European Commission on the environmental performance of the Common Fisheries Policy. Based on this report the ...

  • Final Analysis and Evaluation of the INDECO Indicators available

    One of the last INDECO deliverables has reported on the final evaluation of the list of INDECO indicators. Specific consideration is given to their usefulness, practicability and to what extent they address ...

Highlights

  • Inland fisheries and the Common Fisheries Policy

    The reformed fisheries policy could lead to improvements in the state of commercial inland fisheries, if the measures are properly implemented, with the greatest potential coming from the strengthening of community-led local development.