An international workshop, organised by the OECD EAP Task Force, highlighted "best practice" for benchmarking initiatives in the water supply and sanitation sector of the EECCA region (Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia) and provided a discussion forum on potential future applications in the context of investment decisions. In her contribution, Nicole Kranz presented recent national experiences with benchmarking programmes in France, England and Wales, the Netherlands, Brazil and Sweden.

"Greening of Policies – Interlinkages and Policy Integration" was the title of the Fourth Berlin Conference on the human dimension of global change. Organised by the Environmental Policy Research Centre of the Freie Universität Berlin, the conference took place on 3 and 4 December 2004 in Berlin. Ecologic Fellows Benjamin Görlach and Markus Knigge presented their work on transparency in export credit agencies.

"Sustainable Development within the context of economic globalisation" was the subject discussed at a seminar organised by the University Nürtingen. The event took place on 26 and 27 November 2004 and was dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues within Germany's higher education system. Markus Knigge, Ecologic Fellow, gave a presentation on the relationship between multilateral environmental agreements and the international trade regime.

On the occasion of a delegation visit of water experts and environmental activists from Korea to the Berlin Water Works on 26 October 2004, Ecologic Fellows Britta Pielen and Nicole Kranz spoke about the German water sector, current developments in EU water policy as well as public participation in water management.

Developing and implementing emissions trading and other measures in climate protection policy were discussed at a Lunch Discussion on 23 September 2004, in Washington, DC. The event focused on experiences and opportunities for transatlantic cooperation. It was co-hosted by the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Center for Transatlantic Relations of Johns Hopkins University; Ecologic director R. Andreas Kraemer spoke on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

In his contribution for the symposium "Representation of Interests by NGOs at European Level" at the Bucerius Law School, Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf focused on the influence of European environmental interest groups on European environmental Policy. Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf analysed the institutional structures of European environmental NGOs and illustrated their success and deficits in influencing European environmental Policy. Therein, he focused on the Green G8, an umbrella association of European environmental NGOs and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).

Eduard Interwies, Senior Economist at Ecologic, presented an assessment of the impact on the German water sector of recent developments concerning the potential liberalisation of water services at EU level.

Policy learning among nations and the exchange of experience play an important role in improving environmental management and policy. To facilitate the exchange between water experts from Central America, the Inter-American Development Bank organised a workshop on Integrated Water Resources Management, which was held in Costa Rica from 24 to 28 May 2004. In this context, R. Andreas Kraemer presented the economic dimension of integrated water resources management.

The Evangelische Akademie Loccum hosted a conference on "GATS, EU-internal market and the liberalisation of general services in Germany". Wenke Hansen talked about the quality and price of water services in Europa.

R. Andreas Kraemer, the Director of Ecologic Institute, presented a first assessment of recent developments concerning the potential liberalisation of water services in Europe.

The Heinrich Boell Foundation and the National Wildlife Federation co-hosted a conference on "Water: A Key Issue for Sustainable Development – For Johannesburg and Beyond" in Washington, DC, on 16 April 2002. R. Andreas Kraemer spoke on the emerging water policy framework in Europe, its likely effect on water management, and lessons for other part of the world.