Governance

Latest in Governance

• How to climate-proof CAP and Cohesion spending

  The Commission has published two key technical guidance documents on climate proofing of Cohesion Policy and CAP expenditure as part of the Adaptation Strategy Package. Guidance builds on work carried out by a consortium led by IEEP.

• Environmental complaint handling and mediation mechanisms at national level

  Gradual harmonisation of Member States’ approaches to handling complaints over environment law breaches could have major benefits for the EU.

• IEEP at the conference ‘Next MFF: incentives and safeguards for climate friendly investments’

  Axel Volkery, Head of the Environmental Governance Programme, presented the final results of the European Commission study ‘Optimal use of EU grants and financial instruments in the next Multiannual Financial Framework to achieve the climate objective’ at a high level conference organised in the European Parliament.

• IEEP presentation on EU budget and green economy

  Axel Volkery, Head of the Environmental Governance Programme, gave a presentation on the role of the 2014-2020 EU Multi-annual Financial Framework to kick start the transition towards a green and low carbon economy at a public hearing in the European Economic and Social Committee.

• A greener EU budget in the balance: the 2014-2020 MFF deal

  What are the implications of the EU budget deal for policies which shape the sustainability of European society? Many of them have been severely challenged or cut disproportionately. At the same time some important commitments have been made, like devoting 20 per cent of spending to climate activities.

• 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.

• Press release - Mixed news for the EU’s environment from the MFF deal

  8 February - 'There is mixed news for the EU’s environment and the green economy from today’s MFF deal’ says David Baldock, Director of IEEP.

• Reforming environmental taxes and harmful subsidies: challenges and opportunities

  This policy paper provides a brief introduction and overview to the issues of environmental tax reform and environmentally harmful subsidies and outlines recent developments in the EU. It also outlines the remaining challenges in these areas and the potential role of the 7th EAP in helping to deliver the ETR and EHS agendas.

• Socio-economic importance of ecosystem services in the Nordic countries

  New TEEB-inspired regional assessment (published on 31 January) shows that nature and its ecosystem services are of high socio-economic significance for the Nordic countries. In order to be truly sustainable, Nordic economic systems need to build on a more comprehensive appreciation and understanding of the value of natural capital.

• Greener or greyer: what's next for the future EU budget?

  This Policy Brief analyses the outcomes of the Special Summit on the future EU budget, which took place on 22-23 November 2012.

• Commissioner Potočnik opens IEEP conference in Brussels

  IEEP organised a high-level conference on ‘Stepping up action for Europe’s environment’ on 4 December. The conference brought together a number of prominent speakers and participants from policy, business, academia and NGOs to reflect on the challenges and opportunities currently facing the EU and key priorities for the future.

• Running out of time? Stepping up action for Europe's environment

  New report by IEEP launched at high-level conference in Brussels.

• Increasing regional prosperity by investing in nature: Guidance to mainstream biodiversity

  Investment in natural capital through the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems has a lot to offer for regional development. A new publication authored by IEEP provides guidance on integrating biodiversity into EU Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in 2014-2020.

• Nature and its role in the transition to a Green Economy

  This new IEEP-authored report highlighting the importance of nature to the economy aims to clarify and help mainstream nature’s role in the transition to a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

• EU budget debate: Some one trillion euro questions and answers

  Keti Medarova-Bergstrom, Senior Policy Analyst at IEEP, and Pawel Swidlicki, Research Analyst at Open Europe, put their heads together to identify why and where EU budgetary spending has got it wrong in the past and propose how roughly one trillion euros can better serve Europe's environment, economy and people in the next funding period.

• Using innovative financial instruments to finance EU policies and objectives

  This report examines Commission proposals on the use of innovative financial instruments in the 2014-2020 budget and analyses implications for the financing of EU policies and objectives.

• Exploring key priorities and actions for the 7th EAP

  This policy paper examines how the forthcoming 7EAP can contribute to protecting natural systems and improving the way in which we use natural resources. It also examines a number of cross-cutting actions needed to support the priorities of the 7EAP and ensure better delivery of EU environment policy.

• Warsaw workshop: Climate change mainstreaming in EU Cohesion Policy

  12 September, Warsaw: IEEP workshop provided Polish national and regional authorities with better understanding and knowledge of how to factor in climate change impacts and objectives in the future EU Cohesion Policy.

• Exploring Belgium’s contribution to international climate finance

  What might be the Belgian contribution to the commitments made at COP15 and COP16 on potential sources of climate change finance? And how this might be implemented?

• Mainstreaming climate in EU funds - the progress to date

  IEEP’s latest policy brief takes stock of the negotiation processes on the 2014-2020 EU Multi-annual Financial Framework and Cohesion Policy, and points at issues and opportunities ahead for ensuring the effective mainstreaming of climate change in the future EU spending plans