Category Archives: EU
The Death of British Farmland?
Yesterday’s meeting of the Cross Party House of Common’s Agroecology Group discussed the potential for soil management practices to influence the future of farming in the UK. The session was chaired by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer and co- hosted … Continue reading
MEPs call for new environmental framework for the EU
Voting in two resolutions last week, MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) called for the European Commission to introduce a Seventh Environmental Action Programme and for higher political priority to go to preserving and restoring damaged ecosystems. The Seventh Environmental … Continue reading
Biodiversity Policy Analyst Post Available in Brussels
The Institute of European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is recruiting for a permanent, full-time Biodiversity Policy Analyst, to be based in the Institute’s office in Brussels. The post-holder will work as part of a small team to inform the development of … Continue reading
The Future of EU Environmental Policy
Over the past 40 years the EU has set up a relatively comprehensive and dense body of environmental legislation which, although far from perfect, is certainly a success story. Times are changing and increasing complexity of inter-linkages between policies on … Continue reading
The Future of EU Environmental Policy
Earlier today the All Party Parliamentary Environment Group (APPEG) launched a report, produced by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), entitled “The future for EU Environmental Policy: Challenges and Opportunities”. The independent report considers environmental challenges facing the EU … Continue reading
Germany leads objection to specific biodiversity goals in the CAP.
A call for specific biodiversity goals to be integrated into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was abandoned at the insistence of Germany during a meeting of environment ministers in Brussels today (19 December). In its proposal for a biodiversity strategy … Continue reading
Defra Review of the Habitats and Birds Directives
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced a review of the implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives in the UK. Following the announcement of the review by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement … Continue reading
Intensive farming methods affect birds and plants in Europe
Intensive farming methods have simplified landscapes across Europe, leading to a loss of biodiversity. A recent study has investigated the effects of intensive farming on plants, beetles and birds in Western European regions and found that plants and birds are … Continue reading
The European Commission proposes a new partnership between Europe and its farmers
On 12th October, the European Commission has presented a draft reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period after 2013. This draft aims to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU in order to … Continue reading
EU Budget Announcement: Implications for Ecology and Biodiversity
Last week the European Commission announced their plans for the new EU budget. The new budget, known as the Multi Annual Financial Framework (MFF) sets how much will be spent over the years 2014 to 2020, and how this money … Continue reading