Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is an independent, not for profit policy studies institute, a green
think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...
and a leading centre for the analysis and development of
environmental policy in Europe and beyond. It has a strong reputation among national and European
policy-makers
Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...
and
non-governmental organisations
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...
. The institute is based in Brussels with a branch office in London and a network of partners in other countries, which are particularly strong in the member states of the
EU. These include universities, environmental and professional associations in a range of sectors, research institutes and consultancies. IEEP brings a non-partisan analytical perspective to policy questions, engaging in both pressing short-term questions and long-term strategic studies.
History
IEEP was originally established in Bonn in 1976 by the
European Cultural Foundation
The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) is a Netherlands-based independent cultural foundation. Its mission is to “make a tangible impact on civil society, citizen initiatives, public opinion and policy proposals to combat the fragmenting forces ...
(ECF). Its first director was Konrad von Moltke who believed that an institute in Bonn, whatever it was called, would be seen as a German institute, and that to be truly European it was necessary to have a presence in several European countries. So he opened an IEEP office in Paris in 1978 and in London in 1980. Von Moltke established a monthly bulletin initially in French and then also in English called ‘The Environment in Europe’. This continued for about ten years and was sent to MPs and MEPs, Committees of parliaments that were beginning to take an interest in this new subject of environmental policy, as well as to ministries.
The London office was initially run as a joint venture with the
International Institute for Environment and Development
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
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(IIED) that had been founded by
Barbara Ward
Barbara Mary Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, (23 May 1914 – 31 May 1981) was a British economist and writer interested in the problems of developing countries. She urged Western governments to share their prosperity with the rest of th ...
. The IEEP ‘office’ consisted of a desk at their premises at Percy Street, then occupied by twenty or so people, including the fledgling
Earthscan. IEEP London's first director was Nigel Haigh who stayed until 1998.
Four projects were planned in the first six months, one of which had to be postponed and modified. They are worth describing as they point to the future.
They were:
- a comparison of public enquiries in Britain and France
- a study of the effects of the
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Union. It implements a system of agricultural subsidies and other programmes. It was introduced in 1962 and has since then undergone several changes to reduce the ...
on wetland drainage in France, Britain, Netherlands and Ireland
- a critique of a European freight forecasting study, and
- an extended essay on the impact of EEC environmental legislation in the UK
Over time structural and financial problems appeared. The head office was in Bonn; the accounts were kept by ECF in Amsterdam in florins but were often so late that they provided little basis for financial management; there were staff in four countries on the payroll of different organisations. The IEEP Board responded by initiating two debates between staff and Board, one about the purpose of IEEP, and the other about its structure. The previous director David Baldock took over the running of the London office in 1998. The Brussels office was opened in 2001 as the importance of being close to the EU power structures was realised. Since 2016, the executive director is Céline Charveriat.
Work
IEEP conducts research and analysis providing consultancy and information services, undertaking work both independently and on commissioned projects. IEEP's work focuses primarily on EU environmental and
sustainable development policies, and relevant aspects of other policies such as agriculture, transport, rural and regional development,
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
, industrial pollution and fisheries. The institute is also actively engaged in the development of policy at the national level in Europe. IEEP seeks both to raise awareness of the policies that shape the European environmental agenda and to advance policy-making along sustainable paths. IEEP can boast strong expertise across the breadth of EU environmental policy and associated issues with teams specialising in nature conservation, agriculture and rural development policy, fisheries and marine environment, transport,
climate change and energy
In the 21st century, the earth's climate and its energy policy interact and their relationship is studied and governed by a variety of national and international institutions.
The relationships between energy-resource depletion, climate change, ...
, industrial pollution and waste, sustainable development, impact assessment, environmental integration and governance. IEEP staff come from a broad variety of disciplines including biologists, ecologists, environmental scientists, lawyers, economists and journalists.
IEEP's clients and audience include the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
,
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
, national and local governments, non-government organisations (NGOs), industry and others who contribute to the policy debate. It has regular contacts with the full range of policy actors. IEEP has established a reputation among national and European policy-makers and NGOs, both for its expertise on environment and related policies in Europe and for the independence and integrity of its work.
Board
* Hans Wolters (Chairman of IEEP London Board & AISBL Board)
* Claudia Dias Soares
* Adam Gillingham
* Dale Chadwick
* Hans Wolters
*
Sir John Harman
* Tricia Henton FRSE
Publications
Manual of Environmental Policy: the EU and Britai
This is a comprehensive online manual produced by IEEP and published by Earthscan, which is updated twice per year to include all EU environmental policy developments.
UNited for Climate Justice: Background paper
CAP 2021-27: Comparative analysis of environmental performance of COMENVI and COMAGRI reports
Assessing and accelerating the EU progress on
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2019
Environmental Governance in the EU Member States: status assessment
References
External links
IEEP WebsiteThink 2030 WebsiteCAP2020, forum on Common Agricultural Policy
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Think tanks based in the United Kingdom
Think tanks based in Belgium
Think tanks established in 1976
Environmental policies organizations
Environmental organizations based in Europe
Environmental policy in the EU