In order to implement its obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as required under the Kyoto Protocol, the European Community created a Directive establishing a community-wide greenhouse gas trading system. Initial experiences with this new marketbased mechanism have been gathered since the beginning of the first trading period (2005-2007). Ecologic has been commissioned to support the drafting of the respective legal framework for the second trading period (2008-2012) and for future trading periods in Germany. The goal of the project is to optimise the legal and economic aspects of emissions trading.

The process of European integration has given rise to a new object of study – European society. Several old questions concerning citizenship, democracy, government and institutions must be raised anew, this time at the European level. These are not only academic issues, but also major political concerns at European and member state level.

Climate change as a global phenomenon requires global action. The strategies of states are very multi-faceted and variable: next to the Kyoto Protocol (KP), which sets forth binding reduction targets, are a number of initiatives such as the Asian Pacific Partnership agreement for Clean Development and Climate (AP6) with a voluntary, technology-based approach, and the Action Program for climate protection put in place at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles. At the 9th climate talk it was debated whether these varied approaches are effective for climate protection, and to what extent they complement or compete and thus hinder one another.

In the end of 2005 the parties to the Kyoto Protocol convened to decide on a number of operational aspects of the international climate regime. More importantly, they also agreed to launch consultations on future mitigation commitments for the period after 2012, when the current "Kyoto targets" expire. Dr. Camilla Bausch and Michael Mehling analyse the outcome of the meeting in an article and discuss the summit’s significance as a first step in the further evolution of the international climate regime.

The Free University of Berlin organised a conference on behalf of The Permanent European conference for the study of the rural landscape (PECSRL) from 4 until 9 September 2006, focusing on the theme: European rural future: Landscape as an Interface. Rainer Müssner from Ecologic gave a presentation about the importance of landscape issues in public policies. This presentation focused on the following key questions: Is "landscape" a priority issue on the national / European policy agenda?, do we have a coherent "landscape policy"? and what can be done to increase the political "weight" of landscape issues?

There are obvious successes in Transboundary Water Management. How can the Landscape sector profit from these experiences, considering there exists an insufficient level of co-operation between states? Rainer Müssner in collaboration with Eduard Interwies gave a presentation focusing on these issues at the 22nd conference of The Permanent European Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscape.

A Tisza River Basin Analysis Report was developed by the Tisza Expert Group of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube. The Report is an important step for the preparation of a river basin management plan under the EU Water Framework Directive. Ecologic was commissioned to assist the Tisza Expert Group with the development of three chapters on the identification of artificial and heavily modified water bodies, on the assessment of risk of failure to reach the WFD environmental objectives for surface water bodies and on the characterisation of groundwater bodies.

<p>On 31 August 2006 a conference on "Resource Efficiency - Innovations for the Environment and Job Creation", jointly organised by the German Federal Ministry of the Environment and IG Metall (Industrial Trade Union of Metalworkers), was held in Berlin. Central in the discussion was the intelligent use of energy and raw materials as a key component of increased employment and economic success. Participants agreed that only a linkage between economy and ecology through the use of energy-efficient products and procedures will both provide chances for the future and preserve natural resources. Ecologic supported the organisation of the conference.</p>&#13;

The European Environment Agency (EEA) provides decision-makers with information needed to make sound and effective decisions in the policy making process with the aim to protect the environment and support sustainable development. Within a framework contract, Ecologic supports the EEA in this task by undertaking an agri-environmental analysis relating to agri-environment indicators, farm management, bio-energy production, the spatial distribution of CAP subsidies and dissemination of EEA results.

This Ecologic Brief gives an overview of the main results and policy implications of the HarmoniCOP project. HarmoniCOP provides a comprehensive knowledge base for public participation in water management.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the most exhaustive agreement for maintaining the world’s ecological underpinnings. In 2006, the Parties to the CBD agreed to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss. As host of the next Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2008, Germany has a special role to play. As part of this project Ecologic supports and advises the German government in setting the agenda. Key points that need to be tackled in order to reach this goal were discussed at an Expert Workshop from 13-15 December 2006 in Potsdam and summarised in the so called Potsdam recommendations.

Nocker, Leo De 2007: Costs and Benefits Associated with the Implementation of the Water Framework Directive, with a Special Focus on Agriculture: Final Report.