Science for Environment Policy (SfEP) is a free news and information service published by the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) of the European Commission. It is designed to help busy policymakers keep up-to-date with the latest environmental research findings needed to design, implement and regulate effective policies.
The News Alerts are a cornerstone of the SfEP service. Presented in concise and easy-to-understand newsletter articles, SfEP offers quick access to scientific research on environmental issues.
SfEP also releases regular Future Briefs on the latest environmental topics. Future Briefs are a series of horizon-scanning policy briefs, which explore the evidence around emerging environmental issues.
Our News alert articles and Future Briefs are freely accessible through this site. To access SfEP content published between 2005 and June 2022, please consult the dedicated archive.
News Alerts
Big data modelling can indicate risk of bark beetle attacks in Norway spruce forests
Issue 597: Bark beetle is a serious pest in temperate and boreal forests. New research pinpoints some of the factors that increase outbreak risk, especially in the context of more frequent droughts.
Agroecological practices may enhance food production by increasing ecosystem services
Issue 597: A Spanish study finds agroecological practices, such as using crop diversification, increase supply and diversity of ecosystem services on farms.
Paved surfaces that allow soil to ‘breathe’ may be the best option for urban trees
Issue 597: Trees make towns and cities better places to live, but they often need to co-exist with practical surfaces in the built environment. A five-year study compared the effects of three types of paving on trees.
Flood and drought analysis shows that impact-reduction strategies are effective – but fail in unprecedented events
Issue 596: A new analysis suggests that while generally effective, flood and drought risk management strategies are usually not designed to cope with unprecedented events – which may increase with climate change.
Future Briefs
FUTURE BRIEF: Nanoplastics: state of knowledge and environmental and human health impacts – Issue 27
This Future Brief presents the current science on nanoplastics: their detection, assessment and monitoring; their impacts in the environment, ecotoxicity, and environmental fate; and their potential impacts on human health.
FUTURE BRIEF: COVID-19 and the environment: links, impacts and lessons learned – Issue 26
This brief looks at environmental factors that potentially contribute to the emergence of disease and the effects of COVID-19, and environmental impacts that have arisen from COVID-19.
FUTURE BRIEF: European Forests for biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation – Issue 25
Forests are under pressure by inadequate management practices and climate changes. This research is based on the latest scientific evidence to show how biodiversity, the bioeconomy and climate change mitigation are underpinned by Europe's forests.
Contact Us
Science for Environment Policy (SfEP) is a European Commission initiative. The secretariat is currently run by Ecorys.
For comments on this service, please contact Ecorys at sfep@ecorys.com.
If you would like to contact the editors of SfEP, the Science Communication Unit at UWE, email us at sfep.editorial@uwe.ac.uk. You can use this email to:
- obtain permission to reproduce material from the service in another publication
- suggest a study to be considered for inclusion in the News Alert. Criteria for inclusion are listed in our archive section.
To get in touch with the researchers, please refer to the Source section indicated under each News Alert article.