EU survey on restoration

Eftec, in association with enetjärn, ECNC, CEEweb and the University of Antwerp, is carrying out a study for the European Commission’s DG Environment called “Technical support in relation to the promotion of restoration in the context of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020”. The EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 foresees (Target 2) that restoration of…

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People 4 Soil initiative

In 2015 Legambiente (an Italian member of the European Environmental Bureau federation) has launched “People 4 Soil”, a campaign aimed at promoting a European Citizens Initiative on soil protection, in order to introduce a specific legislation that is still missing in EU. The network has already collected the subscription of 200 organisations, but in order…

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Oppla – new virtual hub for the latest thinking on nature-based solutions from across Europe

Oppla is a new virtual hub where the latest thinking on nature-based solutions is brought together from across Europe. It is currently in development (with a launch planned in September 2016), but their enquiry service ‘Ask Oppla‘ can already be tested. Aks Oppla aims to help answer questions about ecosystem services and natural capital by…

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Research to support innovating with nature

There is a need for a major transition in society to support the global aim for a more sustainable future. Nature has a tremendous potential to support such transition through the benefits it provides to human well-being. Research supports the knowledge-base that is required to enable a nature-based transition. These are some of the key…

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European Commission calls for Green Week partner events focusing on “Investing for a greener future”

This year’s Green Week will take place in Brussels on 30 May – 3 June. The theme for this year’s Green Week is “Investing for a greener future”. Each day during the week will focus on a different theme, the themes include: investing for greener cities, investing in our countryside, investing in our oceans and…

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Horizon Scan identifies emerging trends for the marine and coastal environment

The 2016 Horizon Scan, compiled by a group of 24 researchers, practitioners, professional horizon scanners, and journalists, identifies emerging trends, including both opportunities and threats, that may impact on global biodiversity. Two of the issues identified could impact on the marine and coastal environment: electric pulse trawling and osmotic power. Electric pulse trawling is a…

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City of Turku to host European Maritime Day 2016

The 2016 European Maritime Day will take place in Turku, Finland around 20 May. The objective of the European Maritime Day is to emphasise the importance of the marine environment and maritime economic activity internationally. At the heart of the European Maritime Day is a two-day conference “Investing in competitive blue growth – smart and…

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Mapping and assessing the condition of Europe’s ecosystems: progress and challenges

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published a report that provides an overview of the current condition of ecosystems in Europe and the human pressures they are exposed to. The report synthesises the EEA’s work on ecosystem mapping and assessment over the last few years. Mapping ecosystems and their condition is essential for measuring progress…

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LIFE announces Best Projects of 2015

In March 2016, LIFE announced the Best LIFE Projects completed during 2015. They will be honoured at an award ceremony taking place in Brussels on 31 May 2016 during Green Week. The 52 winning projects represent the three strands of the LIFE+ programme – Nature; Environment; and Information & Communication – and are drawn from…

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