Economic and social analysis for policy support

Socio-economic assessments for biodiversity and water protection and management policies

☀︎ With the overall aim of supporting sound policy-making, we provide high-quality socio-economic expertise and policy-relevant socio-economic assessments in relation to ecosystems, their uses and environmental policy issues. 

☀︎ We have extensive experience in the socio-economic issues of implementing the EU water and biodiversity related policies, in particular the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the EU biodiversity protection policies, as well as in relation to maritime spatial planning and flood risk management.

☀︎ The policy-relevant socio-economic issues include:

• economic and social analysis of ecosystem services, water uses and their future development trends and scenarios;
• assessment of environmental costs and their recovery, societal costs of inaction, benefits of changes in ecosystem services’ supply and achieving environmental targets;
• development and evaluation of policy measures and management scenarios, in particular assessment of their effectiveness and socio-economic impacts (by applying cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-benefit analysis and socio-economic impact assessment).

☀︎ We provide development of methodologies, information base and tools, conducting analysis and assessments, consultations and training, preparing recommendations for policy-making and decision support.

☀︎ We contribute with our socio-economic expertise and services to: 

• national policy-making (e.g. river basin management planning, development of programs of measures, evaluation of policy scenarios);
• the Baltic Sea region policies (e.g. the HELCOM holistic (HOLAS) assessments and the Baltic Sea Action Plan); 
• international coordination and information exchange (e.g. by active engagement in relevant EU and HELCOM groups, such as the MSFD working group POMESA and the HELCOM expert group on economic and social analysis).

☀︎ We combine theory (e.g. from participation in research projects, development of methodologies and tools) and practice (applied assessments at various scales, conducting surveys and developing recommendations for policy making), enabling innovative and pragmatic approaches to the policy issues faced.

☀︎ We work in close collaboration with relevant experts, stakeholders and policy makers to address policy needs and stakeholder interests. Most of our projects are multidisciplinary and we combine the socio-economics with other disciplines to ensure the most appropriate and effective policy support.