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Making Trade Sustainable Impact Assessment More Relevant to Trade Negotiations

While trade sustainability impact assessments (trade SIAs) have generated much useful information about the potential impacts of trade liberalisation, they have made very limited impact on trade negotiations, which generate unresolved controversy, if not deadlock. This paper contends that one reason for this is that trade SIAs do not explicitly recognise the motives for countries to resist free trade.

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Global Environment

Governance

Would a United Nations Environment Organization Help to Achieve the Millenium Development Goals?

In this article Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Ecologic Senior Fellow, discusses the need for international environmental governance reform, the advantages and disadvantages of creating a United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO) and its potential in helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The article is available for download.

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Global Effects of Doubled Atmospheric CO2 Content on Evapotranspiration, Soil Moisture and Runoff under Potential Natural Vegetation

The atmospheric CO2 content, which might increase more than two-fold by the end of the century, not only has an impact on the global climate, but also directly affects the water balance of the terrestrial biosphere. Anna Leipprand and Dr. Dieter Gerten from the Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research published an article in the Hydrological Sciences Journal that analyses these impacts.Read more

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Article

Economics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Infotag zur IVU-Richtlinie

In Stuttgart on 29 November 2005, Baden-Wüttemberg‘s Ministry for the Environment held an Information Day on the IPPC Directive’s implementation in Germany and specifically in Baden-Wüttemberg. It has been concluded that the environmental protection standard in Germany presents a solid basis for compliance with the guidelines of the Directive and that co-operation between public authorities and businesses is an essential prerequisite for practical implementation. Ulrich Maurer and Alexander Neubauer compiled the event’s findings. Read more

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Foreign Policy

Security Policy

Nach dem Gaskonflikt

Ost-westliche Energieverknüpfungen

For the Russian government, the export of oil and gas is not just a good business deal. The gas conflict with the Ukraine, with which the Russian leadership announced the new year and its G-8 presidency, showed that the Kremlin’s energy policy is at the core of its foreign policy – one that makes clear old power claims in the post-Soviet realm and beyond. Sascha Müller-Kraenner writes on east-west energy alliances in Kommune 1/2006. The article is available for download.Read more

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Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Water

Lokale Partnerschaften auf dem Vormarsch

In their article for the Zeitschrift für kommunale Wirtschaft (Magazine for Local Economy), Nadine Herbke, Ecologic Institute, and Dr. Nicole Weiß, Verband kommunaler Unternehmen (Association of Local Businesses) (VKU), present the results of the "Entwicklung lokaler Wasserpartnerschaften" (“Development of Local Water Partnerships“) workshop, which took place on 23 November 2005 in Bonn.Read more

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Energy

Ecologic Legal

Ein neues Energierecht – ein weiterer Schritt auf dem Weg zur Liberalisierung

On 13 July 2005, the new German energy law entered into force. In their article, Dr. Camilla Bausch and Julia Rufin LL.M. explain the implementation of the European Directives in accelerating the liberalisation of the internal electricity and gas market. Following a description of the previous process of liberalisation at the European and National levels, the introduction of the new regulation of the energy market is discussed and the new rules concerning the de-monopolisation of the energy sector are explained. Furthermore, specific national rules outlining the European requirements are illustrated.Read more

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Article

Water

Was ist Wasser wert?

Die Ermittlung von Umwelt- und Ressourcenkosten nach der Wasserrahmenrichtlinie

The implementation of the Water Framework Directive is one of the main items in the field of environmental protection. As a main novelty, the Directive foresees the integration of economic aspects into water-related decision makin. However, current practice in Germany does not always match the definitions and approaches for economic evaluation developed at EU level, as Benjamin Görlach and Eduard Interwies note in this article "What is the Value of Water? Assessing Environmental and Resource Costs in the Water Framework Directive." Read more

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Article

Water

Flood Risk Management in Europe

The Development of a Common EU Policy

Between 1998 and 2004, Europe suffered more than 100 major flooding events, including the catastrophic floods along the Danube and Elbe rivers in the summer of 2002. In the wake of these events, the European Commission has embarked on the development of a European policy on flood risk management, resulting in a proposal for a floods Directive that was tabled in January 2006. This paper by Thomas Dworak and Benjamin Görlach tracks the development of the European approach to flood risk management and discusses future options for a European policy on floods. Read more

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Article

Policy Assessment

Ecologic Legal

Institutionelle Architektur der EU nach dem Vertrag über eine Verfassung für Europa

Gut oder schlecht für die europäische Umweltpolitik?

In his article in the "Zeitschrift für Umweltrecht," Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) analyzes what consequences the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe would have for environmental policy. This treaty was signed in 2004 but did not come into force as it was not ratified. The author focuses on the institutional architecture of the European Union, which would undergo some changes due to the treaty.Read more