The report provides an overview of the environmental relevance of the largest fields of expenditure within the EU budget. It assesses the sustainability level of key budget items in the EU sectoral policies. It also provides recommendations in the context of a potential reform of subsidies that would contribute to the alignment of the EU budget towards a more sustainable growth as called in the EU 2020 Strategy.

Together with more than 10 partners from the EU and the Middle East, Ecologic Institute is carrying out the EU-funded research project on "Climate change, hydro-conflicts and human security" (CLICO). CLICO investigates how climate change influences water availability and, consequently, human security and conflicts in the Mediterranean region. The 2nd CLICO policy brief, written by Ecologic Institute, is available for download.

Tanja Srebotnjak, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, contributed to a project undertaken by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) to estimate net migration by ecosystem over the four decades from 1970 to 2010. The project report is available for download.

<p>&#13; The "Network Resource Efficiency" as part of the project "Advancement of Resource Policy" invited to the 7th network conference on Monday, 27 June 2011 in Berlin. New approaches in politics and businesses are highlighted under the guiding theme "2011 – agenda setting for the resource turnaround". Max Grünig presented first ideas describing which actors should be included in a societal debate on resource efficiency.</p>&#13;

Lead by Ecuador’s Ambassador to Germany, his Excellency Jorge Jurado, and Ivonne Baki, who is the country’s top negotiator for the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, a high-level delegation presented an Ecuadorian proposal for the protection of climate and biodiversity at the Ecologic Institute.&#13;

How does the communication between providers of climate data and political decision makers work? This question was the central point of a three-day workshop held in Berlin and Timmendorfer Beach from 15 to 17 June 2011. Scientists and stakeholders from administrations and political bodies from different Baltic countries first met at Ecologic Institute in Berlin to discuss different aspects of the availability of regional climate facts. The second part of the workshop was held at a local Baltic venue - in Timmendorfer Strand, where a case study on the engagement of local stakeholders was examined.

Together with co-authors Alexander de Sherbinin (Columbia University), Genevieve Carr (Northern Oil and Gas Branch, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) and Carrie Rickwood (Natural Resources Canada) Tanja Srebotnjak, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, published a study in the journal Ecological Indicators on the design and testing of a global water quality index.

The EU is a relative newcomer to Arctic policy and may appear to have limited options for influencing the future of the Arctic. However, all Arctic States and neighbouring countries, including the EU, have a stake in the health of Arctic ecosystems and communities, as well as the sustainable development of new sources of economic growth in this region. Sandra Cavalieri, Emily McGlynn and Susanah Stoessel from Ecologic Institute, along with co-authors Martin Bruckner (SERI), Timo Koivurova (Arctic Centre) and Annika E. Nilsson (Stockholm Environment Institute) present an overview of the EU's ecological footprint on the Arctic region, and suggest policy options to reduce negative impacts.

New maps identifying 77 Areas of Ecologically or Biologically Significance (EBSAs) in the Arctic marine environment are now available through a recent project led by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Ecologic Institute. The report identifies 13 "Super EBSAs" which are of key importance because they meet many or all criteria developed under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).The report is available for download.

During the VDI conference "Biogas 2011" Dominik Müller and Dr. Wolfgang Urban of the Ecologic Institute spoke on the experiences with the German law to promote renewable energies (EEG) and its imminent revision. They presented the premises of the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the planned substantial changes in the EEG. They also reported on the monitoring results. The presentation slides and script are available for download.