As part its on-going participation to a framework contract with the European Commission on supporting the implementation of European water policies, Ecologic Institute led an assessment of how Member States' current Rural Development Programmes (2014-2020) address agricultural pressures on water bodies and promote measures that can contribute to protect and restore the water environment, reducing flood and drought risk. The report is available for download.

Transforming the linear economy, which has remained the dominant model since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, into a circular one is by no means an easy task. Such a radical change entails a major transformation of our current production and consumption patterns, which in turn will have a significant impact on the economy, the environment and society. Understanding these impacts is crucial for researchers as well as for policy-makers engaged in designing future policies in the field. This requires developing an in-depth knowledge of the concept of the circular economy, its processes and their expected effects on sectors and value chains.

The RISC-KIT Web-based Management Guide is one of the five RISC-KIT tools designed to highlight key principles recommended for the planning of local DRR measures using examples from the case studies and elsewhere to provide practical illustrations. It is intended to give guidance to coastal managers in Europe and those facing similar challenges beyond the region as well as other groups concerned with coastal management (i.e. coastal resource users, technical and scientific experts and policy makers). The guide includes prevention, mitigation, protection and preparedness measures with recommendations for their use in various socio-economic, cultural and environmental settings. The RISC-KIT Web-based Management Guide is available for download.

In principle, increased trade resulting from trade agreements can offer consumers access to goods and services that are less expensive or of higher quality. At the same time, there is a risk that rules in trade and investment agreements limit the sovereign right of states to adopt measures for consumer protection at the domestic level. Hence, much depends on how these agreements are designed. A study, compiled by Christiane Gerstetter, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute and Christian Pitschas, provides an overview of consumer-related rights in recent international trade agreements. The study is available fro download.

National long-term (2050) climate strategies have received increased attention in European policy debates in the past two years. The Paris Agreement also invites countries to develop such strategies. This study (a collaborative effort between IDDRI and Ecologic Institute) looks at five existing 2050 strategy processes in the EU and assesses what lessons they hold and how they fit within the emerging 2030 governance framework. The study is available for download.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of EU laws and nationally initiated policies in 28 Member States, a new study led by Ecologic Institute assesses how existing EU legislation protects soils, identifying gaps and incoherencies in policy coverage. Nationally initiated policies do not consistently address these gaps in EU legislation, leading to a situation where requirements for soil protection can vary significantly across Member States. The study provides an up-to-date understanding of soil protection policies in Europe, delivering a baseline on which to discuss further EU soil policy action. The study is available for download.

This paper analyzes the proposal of the European Commission for a new regulation on the "Governance of the Energy Union". The analysis is framed around two questions: Is the proposed system adequate for supporting the implementation of the 2030 targets? Will it help Europe to get on a long-term pathway to a zero carbon economy? The paper focuses on the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) as well as compliance and contains concrete proposals in legal language on how to improve the Commission's proposal. This paper builds on related papers by the Ecologic Institute and takes inspiration from intense discussions with colleagues in the ECF Governance cluster.

Afman, Maarten et. al. 2017: EU Energy Market Policy: Local and Regional Experience and Policy Recommendations. European Committee of the Regions: Brussels.

AQUACROSS consortium published a report describing an analytical Assessment Framework, which aims to integrate and understand these complex interlinkages between natural and social systems, to be applied in real-world case studies in the project. The Assessment Framework covers the various steps needed to assess local aquatic management examples in a holistic manner—from the definition of policy challenges and the setting of objectives to the identification of opportunities, the screening of innovative responses and the design, implementation and assessment of alternative courses of action. All these elements are integrated into the comprehensive framework, which aims to capture all relevant interactions at stake. The report is available for download.

The Paris Agreement states that Parties will scale up their commitments with every consecutive nationally determined contribution. A new paper by Ecologic Institute shows how EU legislation can help implement this requirement. The paper is available for download.

The Water Directors of European countries agreed to set up a specific Ad-hoc Task Group (ATG) on best practice and guidance to deal with hydromorphology. One of the core activities of the Working Group (WG) ECOSTAT of the WFD CIS has been to compare the ecological quality expected by different countries for water bodies impacted by water storage. This report is based on information collected via a template on mitigation measures for water bodies impacted by water storage, which was completed by 23 countries.

This report provides an overview of measures to reduce nutrient pollution from point and diffuse sources, as well as an analysis of the implementation of European policies for eutrophication abatement of inland, coastal and marine waters. Examples of eutrophication abatement strategies in eight case studies are presented and analyzed regarding different aspects such as governance issues, the role of research, stakeholder participation and the choice of measures and funding instruments. The report is available for download.

Bach, Inga; Nick Evans; Zbigniew M. Karaczun et. al. 2016: Bau einer emissionsarmen Wirtschaft. Praxis auf lokaler Ebene in Polen und Deutschland. Warschau.

This booklet gives an overview of the POCACITO project, focussing on the methodology used and most importantly on the major findings, results and outcomes of the project.

In the United States, there are no explicit goals at the federal level to limit or even reduce final energy consumption or the use of fossil fuels in the future. Nevertheless, many measures have been taken in recent years to increase energy efficiency. Some U.S. states, such as California or Massachusetts, are considered pioneers in energy efficiency policy by global standards. Read this report to learn more about the U.S.' energy efficiency policies.