This background paper, prepared by Erik J. Molenaar and Robert Corell for the Arctic TRANSFORM project, focuses on fisheries that occur in the Arctic marine area, including fisheries for anadromous species that spawn in rivers that flow directly into the Arctic marine area. The paper follows a sectoral perspective, but in pursuance of an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). Due to this sectoral perspective, the focus will be exclusively on international instruments and intergovernmental and other relevant international bodies that relate to, or pursue, conservation as well as management. No attention will therefore be paid to those that focus exclusively on conservation of species and habitat by various means, including by the regulation of international trade.

On 14 October 2008 Greenpeace published a study on illegal timber imports to Germany which was compiled by Ecologic. The study analyses how illegal timber imports impact the economic viability of the timber and forestry industries in Germany. The study shows that the substantial long-term economic damage can result from reputation problems, price dumping and the unsustainable use of the industry’s resource base. On the 17th of October 2008 the European Commission unveiled a legislative proposal for combating imports and trade from illegal wood sources. Greenpeace criticizes the proposal for not going far enough. They demand concrete penalty measures for the possession and trade of wood from illegal sources.

This report, written as part of the Project PICCMAT (Policy Incentives for Climate Change Mitigation Agricultural Techniques), provides information on different mitigation practices and identifies priorities for policy action. Additionally, it describes current rural development, introducing options for the future European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The report is available for download.

Best, Aaron, Stefan Giljum, Craig Simmons, Daniel Blobel, Kevin Lewis, Mark Hammer, Sandra Cavalieri, Stephan Lutter and Cathy Maguire. 2008. Potential of the Ecological Footprint for monitoring environmental impacts from natural resource use: Analysis of the potential of the Ecological Footprint and related assessment tools for use in the EU's Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources. Report to the European Commission, DG Environment.

Braat. L et al. 2008: The Cost of Policy Inaction (COPI): The case of not meeting the 2010 biodiversity target. Alterra Wageningen University and Research; Institute for European Environmental Policy (IIEP); Ecologic; Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM); GHK; Milieu en Natuurplanbureau; United Nations Environmental Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Witteveen en Bos, Wageningen / Brussels, commissioned. ISBN: ENV.G.1/ETU/2007/0044.

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) identifies targets for several core environmental policy categories and measures how close countries come to meet them. Ecologic compiled and analysed the data sources of the EPI for Germany, and assessed the methodologies of the Index. Based on this assessment, both the scientific and political relevance of the index for German environmental policy performance were determined. The report was published by the German Federal Environment Agency in UBA-Texte 09/08.

Impacts of climate change include increasing water scarcity and flood risk, along with decline in water quality. This study explores which ecosystems will be most impacted and analyses how the effects of climate change act as causes of additional emissions, thereby reinforcing global warming in a positive feedback loop. The paper was prepared for the European Parliament by Ecologic jointly with the Institute for European Environmental Policies (IEEP) and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).

The objective of this study is to identify, describe and evaluate the measures already taken by Member States under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), Cross- Compliance (CC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to combat and mitigate the soil threats identified and their potential contribution to the soil conservation objectives as outlined in the EC Communication ‘Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection’ (COM (2006) 231 and 232).

The article analyses current European climate policy at three different levels: efforts undertaken by European actors at the international level (G8 summit), the domestic climate protection targets agreed at European level (Council Conclusions), and the challenges their implementation is faced with.

2007: Auswirkungen der Klimaänderung auf die Schweizer Volkswirtschaft (internationale Einflüsse). INFRAS/Ecologic/Rütter + Partner. Berlin/Rüschlikon/Bern.

Dworak, Thomas; Maria Berglund; Cornelius Laaser 2007: EU Water saving potential (Part 1 –Report). ENV.D.2/ETU/2007/0001r. Berlin.

Both the USA and Germany are currently engaged in a battle over the respective rights of the federal government vs. the states in determining environmental standards and regulations. In the United States, California and a number of other states are endeavoring to introduce emissions regulations, either singly or in regional partnerships. In Germany, reform of federalism could lead to exceptions from country-wide environmental regulations. In both instances, this tug of war could lead to disparate environmental regulations and standards from region to region, an outcome that could pose significant challenges for industry. An AICGS Policy Report focuses on the federalism debate as it relates to environmental regulation in Germany and the United States and its implications for business. This contribution of R. Andreas Kraemer focuses on federalism and environmental regulation in Germany and the EU.

Ecologic led a study examining the potential contributions that trade policy could make to combating climate change. The objective of the study was to provide Members of the European Parliament with an assessment of the relationships between international trade and climate change, and to identify possible means of using trade policy options to combat the problem. The study examined the economic, policy and legal aspects of the issue and included a quantitative evaluation of carbon dioxide emissions associated with specific traded and EU-produced goods. The study is available for download.

Schlegel, Stephanie; Camilla Bausch 2007: Akzeptanz und Strategien für den Ausbau Erneuerbarer Energien auf kommunaler und regionaler Ebene. Berlin.

Dworak, Thomas; Eleftheria Kampa; Colette de Roo et al. 2007: Simplification of European Water Policies. Brussels.