Contents:

1. Evaluation of EU Commission Consultation on Fishing Opportunities for 2015 under the Common Fisheries Policy – Publication
2. Can the European Council Impose Consensus on EU Climate Policies? – Publication
3. Research on Actors, Institutions and Instruments Relevant for Fighting Environmental Crime – News
4. Public Water Services in Great Britain and Germany – Publication
5. Key Drivers for Unsustainable Resource Use – Publication
6. Social Sciences in Coastal and Ocean Policy and Resilience of Coastal Communities – What in the World is Going on in America? – Presentation
7. Program Announced for the European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2015 – News
8. Climate Change Training Course for Journalists in Anticipation of COP21 Paris 2015 Media Coverage – Summer School
9. Ecologic Institute – 20 Years of Environmental Work – News

1. Evaluation of EU Commission Consultation on Fishing Opportunities for 2015 under the Common Fisheries Policy – Publication

   Ecologic Institute analyzed stakeholder submissions to the European Commission's public consultation on fishing opportunities for 2015. The consultation generated widespread interest from a range of stakeholders: the fishing sector, public authorities, scientists, fisheries advisory councils, citizens, and NGOs. The evaluation demonstrates that stakeholders are concerned by overfishing and that most of them have a good understanding of the issues at stake, including the objective to recover fish stocks to levels above those capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The report is available for download.
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2. Can the European Council Impose a Consensus on EU Climate Policies? – Publication

   Since 2007, the European Council has played an increasingly active role in shaping the details of future EU climate policies. This involvement raises important questions about potential interference by the European Council regarding the decision-making process for and content of the implementation of the 2030 climate framework. In a broader perspective, concerns have been raised about the establishment of a constitutional practice, which could in fact circumvent the possibility of adopting implementing acts by qualified majority vote. This would alter the balance of power between the EU institutions. Ecologic Institute's Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discusses the role and mandate of the European Council. The paper is available for download.
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3. Research on Actors, Institutions and Instruments Relevant for Fighting Environmental Crime – News

   One facet of the "European Union Action to Fight Environmental Crime" (EFFACE) project, coordinated by Ecologic Institute, is research on the instruments, actors, and institutions involved in the fight against environmental crime. The overall work consists of a main report and a variety of studies, focusing on specific legal provisions, institutions, and actors at the national, EU, and international levels. The Ecologic team has compiled a country report on Germany, completed a study on NGOs and networks of enforcement officials, and contributed to the aggregation report that summarizes EFFACE research on actors, institutions, and instruments. The reports by Ecologic Institute and other institutions are available for download.
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4. Public Water Services in Great Britain and Germany – Publication

   Today, water and sanitation services are organized very differently in Britain and Germany, with privatization at a regional level in Britain and municipal companies in charge of several public services in Germany. In this article, written by Founder and Director Emeritus of Ecologic Institute, R. Andreas Kraemer, and Bernard Barraqué, the history of water supply privatization and centralization in Great Britain and Germany is discussed.
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5. Key Drivers for Unsustainable Resource Use – Publication

   Prevailing resource use patterns of the global socio-industrial metabolism are unsustainable. For effective resource policies, drivers for such unsustainable resource use and their effects need to be better understood and mapped. In the context of the FP7 research project DYNAMIX, Dr. Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers and co-authors identified by means of meta-analysis a set of ten driver categories that affect unsustainable resource use.
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6. Social Sciences in Coastal and Ocean Policy and Resilience of Coastal Communities – What in the World is Going on in America? – Presentation

   Invited by the IASS (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies) and in cooperation with Ecologic Institute, Michael K. Orbach (Duke University Professor of the Practice Emeritus of Marine Policy) gave a presentation entitled, "Social Sciences in Ocean Policy and Resilience of Coastal Communities – What in the world is going on in America?" Drawing on studies undertaken by Ecologic Institute and Duke University investigating both Germany and the U.S., the talk described the cultural phenomena that underlie public policy regarding climate change in these two countries, with a focus on the U.S.
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7. Program for the European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2015 online – News

   The provisional program of the second biennial European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA 2015) is available online. The ECCA 2015 will cover a range of issues related to climate adaptation under the theme, "Integrating climate adaptation action in science, policy, practice and business." The three-day conference will take place from 12 to 14 May 2015 in Copenhagen (Denmark).
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8. Climate Change Training Course for Journalists in Anticipation of COP21 Paris 2015 Media Coverage – Summer School

   Policy makers and environmental groups worldwide are scrambling to prepare for the adoption of a new international climate agreement at the Paris 2015 climate summit in December. However, the very specific language of the UN negotiations and the technical complexity of climate science are not readily understood by the average citizen. The nine-day training course, organized by Ecologic Institute, will include instructive training workshops on a diverse array of topics such as: "The Science of Climate Change" and "UNFCCC: How does a COP work?" All courses are designed to meet the professional needs of journalists and led by a team of experts in climate science and policy.
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9. Ecologic Institute – 20 Years of Environmental Work – News

   The new Director of Ecologic Institute, Dr. Camilla Bausch, spoke with Axel Weiß from the Südwestrundfunk (SWR) about her new position at the Institute. During the interview, Dr. Camilla Bausch talked about the Institute's work and achievements, its 20th anniversary taking place this year, and the Institute's formula for success in cooperation and competition with other environmental think tanks. As a climate and energy expert, she also highlighted opportunities and challenges on the road to the UN climate conference in Paris at the end of 2015.
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