ongoing
Technical and Legal Assistance for the Implementation of EU Water Legislation and the European Water Resilience Strategy
European Commission, DG Environment | The contract includes three different tasks: Task 1: Support the Commission in the follow-up to the assessment of the 3rd River Basin Management Plans and 2nd Flood Risk Management Plans 2022-2027; Task 2: Carry out assessments and provide technical and legal guidance on ad hoc requests in the context of complaints, petitions, written questions, compliance checking, pilot, administrative, information, clarification, infringement processes and funding projects; and Task 3: Deliver scientific and technical analysis on issues underpinning the future European Water Resilience Strategy. Fresh Thoughts provides Member State expertise and quality assurance for Tasks 1 and 2, and leads and provides scientific and technical expertise and quality assurance for Task 3.
ongoing
Mission ocean, seas and waters implementation support platform
CINEA | This Project is about forming and running the Mission Ocean, seas and waters implementation support platform, to help coordinate and monitor actions aligned with the EU Mission ‘Restore our ocean and waters by 2030’. It also involves offering European Blue Parks technical assistance, citizen engagement and communication.
ongoing
Framework Partnership Agreement concerning the European Topic Centre on Biodiversity and Ecosystems 2023-2026
European Environment Agency (EEA) | European Topic Centres (ETCs) are consortia of organisations in EEA member countries with expertise in specific environmental areas, contracted by the EEA through framework partnership agreements to carry out specific tasks to support the implementation of EEA and Copernicus work programmes.
ongoing
Towards an International Panel for Ocean Sustainability
CINEA | Fresh Thoughts is participating in the EU EMFAF tender ‘Towards IPOS’, which aims to bring together a diverse global network of leading Ocean scientists, interdisciplinary experts, policymakers and civil society stakeholders in support for the establishment of an International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS).
ongoing
NAPSEA: N AND P – SOURCE TO SEA
European Research Executive Agency (REA) | The central aim of the proposed Source to Sea (NAPSEA) CSA is to support national and local authorities in selecting effective nutrient load reduction measures and to gain political support for the implementation.
ongoing
Legal and technical assessments of Member States’ compliance with the applicable EU environmental legislation
European Commission, DG Environment | Fresh Thoughts is working with Milieu to develop legal assessments and technical evaluations to ensure the full and correct implementation of the Environmental Directive, under Article 258 AEUV, in Member States.
ongoing
Water for the Green Deal
European Commission, DG Environment | In December 2019, the Commission set out a European Green Deal for the European Union (EU) and its citizens - a new growth strategy for the EU supporting the EU's transition to a just and prosperous society that responds to the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation and improves the quality of life of current and future generations.
ongoing
Tourism Monitoring In Antarctica
German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany | This study aims to present the current state of scientific knowledge on the impacts of tourism activities, including the logistics used, on the relevant protected goods of the Antarctic environment.
finished
Climate change adaptation in the tourism sector in Lower Saxony
TourismusMarketing Niedersachsen GmbH | Climate change is already affecting the tourism sector in Lower Saxony and complex interactions influence the touristic demand. Therefore, the TourismusMarketing Niedersachsen GmbH (TMN) intended to support Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) in dealing with current and future changes.
finished
Update of the MSFD PoM – Bulgaria
Black Sea Basin Directorate (BSBD) | The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity, ensuring a good environmental status (GES) for sustainable economic and social activities. It follows six-year cycles where EU Member States report on progress, and the Commission provides assessments. Bulgaria’s first programme of measures (PoMs) was developed in 2016 to meet environmental targets, and under the second cycle, it was reviewed and updated. The update involved assessing the initial state, redefining GES, evaluating existing measures, proposing necessary changes, drafting revised measures, and recommending follow-up actions to ensure effective implementation at national and regional levels. FT carried out the update of the first PoM, based on the experience in its development (incl. Guidance document elaborated) through the project “Implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Bulgaria – Development of Programmes of Measures under Art. 13”.
ongoing
Baseline study for the implementation of lighthouses of Mission ‘Restore our ocean and waters by 2030’
European Commission, DG Environment | The study set a comprehensive baseline for Mission lighthouses in the Atlantic and Arctic Sea basins, Danube River basin and Mediterranean Sea basin on the implementation of two Mission objectives: the protection and restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity (for Danube, Atlantic and Arctic) and the prevention and elimination of pollution in marine and freshwater ecosystems (for the Mediterranean).
finished
Water Strategy Germany
German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany | Modern water management focuses on sustainable and balanced water use by all stakeholders. To achieve this today - and in the future - various legal as well as socio-economic frameworks need to be taken into account. The overall aim of this project was to initiate a target-oriented national dialogue at an early stage among various actors.
finished
International Ocean Governance Stakeholders Forum
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) | The European Commission, in association with the European External Action service, launched the International Ocean Governance Forum.
finished
Study on Integrating an Ecosystem-based Approach into Maritime Spatial Planning
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) | The main objective was to propose feasible and practical approaches and guidelines for applying the Ecosystem-Based Approach (EBA) in Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). To do so, presently available information and a practical method or tool for evaluating, monitoring and reviewing the application of EBA in MSP were used.
finished
EU Taxonomy Public consultation support
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), Germany | The EU taxonomy is a classification system, that establishes a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities. It will play an important role in helping the EU scale up sustainable investment and implement the European Green Deal.
finished
Conference on water, climate change, and adaptation
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), Germany | Climate change poses a key challenge to water management and water-dependent sectors in the EU. Increasing water scarcity, deteriorating water quality, and heavy rainfall events or floods have serious consequences for drinking water supply and freshwater protection.
ongoing
Climate change and tourism in Germany
German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany | The project identified the impact of climate change on the tourism sector in Germany and possible adaptation mechanisms.
finished
Theory of change and Roadmap for the restoration of the Guadalquivir River estuary (Spain)
WWF Spain | WWF developed a roadmap for restoring the Guadalquivir River estuary (Spain) as a follow-up to a workshop held with relevant stakeholders in 2019. The roadmap contains a vision, objectives, success indicators, and prioritised action sheets with further details, and is based on the theory of change. This also included Interviews and a workshop with experts and stakeholders.
finished
Support of the European Innovation Partnership on Water
European Commission, DG Environment | The European Innovation Partnership on Water (EIP Water) was an initiative within the EU 2020 Innovation Union. The EIP Water facilitated the development of innovative solutions to address major European and global water challenges.
finished
Framework Contract to support the implementation of the MSFD
European Commission, DG Environment | The overall objective of the framework contract was to support the Commission in the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The work may need to be organised at the EU or MS level or by the marine region. It could concern one or several specific descriptors.
finished
Sustainable Integrated Management FOR the NEXUS of water-land-food-energy-climate for a resource-efficient Europe (SIM4NEXUS)
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) | Water, land, food, energy, and climate are interconnected, comprising a coherent system (the ‘Nexus’), dominated by complexity and feedback. Putting pressure on one part of the Nexus can put pressure on the other parts.
finished
Support to the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive – Part 2
European Commission, DG Environment | This contract aimed to support MSFD implementation through: • support in organising and managing conferences, workshops, and meetings associated with MSFD implementation; • the development of specific MSFD-related documentation (such as guidance documents, concept papers, technical documents, reports and meeting reports, etc.); • reporting and data management, including through adequate IT systems; • best practice exchange and communication of activities not yet covered by other specific contracts.
finished
EU-Iran environment and climate change exchanges
European Commission, DG Environment | In 2016, Iran and the EU agreed to start cooperation on the environment and adaptation to climate change.
finished
Marine Strategy Framework Directive – Bulgaria
German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany | The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC; MSFD ) provided a framework within which each Member State shall take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain a "good environmental status" of the marine environment by the year 2020.
finished
Framework contract for services related to coordination between the different marine regions in implementing the ecosystem approach
European Commission, DG Environment | The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Marine Directive or MSFD, 2008/56/EC) aims to achieve ‘good environmental status’ of European marine waters by the year 2020 through the implementation of two overarching principles: the ecosystem-based approach to the management of human activities and an integrated, coordinated, approach at regional and sub-regional level.
finished
Support to Activities related to the EU Policy on Integrated Coastal Management and Maritime Spatial Planning
European Commission, DG Environment | Coastal and marine areas face a multitude of activities that often cause unsustainable development. The need for integrated coastal management (ICM) and maritime spatial planning (MSP) in Europe stems from increasing competition for maritime space by diverse actors and industries.
finished
Assessment of the status of water bodies and ecosystems in Doñana
WWF Spain | WWF Spain has been involved in the conservation of the Doñana wetlands since the 1960s.
finished
Support to ECOSTAT Nutrients Workshop
German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany | This contract supported the ECOSTAT Working Group under the WFD CIS process. For the Working Group's meeting in November 2015, a report on nutrient boundaries in transitional, coastal and marine waters in the EU was developed.
finished
Sharing best practices on ICZM, in a context of Adaptation to climate Change in coastal areas
European Commission, DG Environment | Climate change is affecting European marine areas and coastal zones and resulting in, among others, sea-level rise, increased frequency and severity of storms, ocean acidification, coastal erosion, changes in sea surface temperature as well as changes in biodiversity and ecosystems.
finished
Support to the development of inland and coastal water project evaluation criteria and preparation of calls for proposals (Bulgaria)
Ministry of Environment and Water (Bulgaria) | The Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and Norway funds several programs in different countries and priority areas. In Bulgaria, in the 2009-2014 period, one of the funded programs was called “BG02” and focused on improved integrated management of Marine and Inland Waters.
finished
Marine Litter Conference 2012
German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany | The project supported the German Environment Agency (UBA) in preparing an international conference on marine litter in the European regional seas.
finished
Climate Change Adaptation, coastal and marine issues
European Commission, DG Environment | Fresh Thoughts prepared the background document for developing a staff working paper on climate change adaptation regarding coastal and marine issues. As part of the EU's commitment under the White Paper to adaptation, this document presented a comprehensive view of the main regional impacts of climate change on marine and coastal areas and the current policy framework, as well as policy options to better address adaptation.
finished
Support to the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive – Part 1
European Commission, DG Environment | The implementation of the MSFD presents many challenges. Both, Member States and the Commission have a significant task ahead of them in putting the principles outlined in the Directive for an improved marine environment into practice.
finished
Benefit assessment for the German implementation of the MSFD
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), Germany | The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to achieve more effective protection of the marine environment throughout the coastal areas of Europe.