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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

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Energy

Ecologic Legal

Parlamentsentwurf für das Zweite Gesetz zur Neuregelung des Energiewirtschaftsrechtes

In this article, Camilla Bausch and Julia Rufin provide an overview of the content of the German energy law, as adopted by the German Parliament in 2005. The new energy law is based on European Directives. The authors focus their contributing article on the essential new provisions. A description of the future regulation of the energy market is provided and the new rules concerning the unbundling of the energy sector are exposed. Furthermore, provisions that extend the requirements of European law are described.

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Energy

Ecologic Legal

Entflechtungsregeln im Stromsektor

Die Vorgaben des Gesetzesentwurfes zum Energiewirtschaftsrechts

The federal bill addressing non discriminatory network access in the energy sector will significantly reform the existing legal framework for grid operators in Germany. A crucial aspect of the reform is the strengthening of rules for vertically integrated energy companies active in production and distribution as well as grid operation. In her publication, Dr. Camilla Bausch critically analyses and evaluates unbundling rules for the electricity sector against the background of lawmakers' objectives - including promoting competition, reducing conflict of interest cases and quelling market distorting activities. Read more

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Water

Making the Right Choice

A Methodology for Selecting Cost-Effective Measures for the Water Framework Directive

In the third issue of the Journal for European Environmental and Plannning Law (JEEPL), Nicole Kranz, Benjamin Görlach and Eduard Interwies published an article on the selection of cost-effective combinations of measures according to Article 11 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The article highlights the results of the project "Basic principles for selecting the most cost-effective combinations of measures", conducted by Ecologic in 2003 for the German Federal Environmental Agency.Read more

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Datengrundlage Emissionshandel in Deutschland

The National Allocation Plan (NAP) stipulates the rules for the allocation of allowances to the installations participating in emissions trading. The allowances are allocated on the basis of the actual CO2 emissions of the individual installations. To determine the quantity of emissions, data was gathered on a voluntary basis through a comprehensive data enquiry by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment. This article reports on the results of the data enquiry.

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Global Environment

Governance

Reforming International Environmental Governance.

An Institutionalist Critique of the Proposal for a World Environment Organisation

In this article Sebastian Oberthür and Thomas Gehring argue that a World Environment Organisation (WEO) does not promise to enhance international environmental governance. The authors claim that the establishment of an international organisation alone in a policy field currently populated by regimes cannot be expected to significantly improve environmental governance because there is no qualitative difference between these two forms of governance institutions. This article does not address in detail or extend upon recent proposals for giving more importance to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) or for upgrading it to a special UN organisation.Read more

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Governance

Differential Effects of Enlargement on EU Environmental Governance

This article examines the potential impact of eastern enlargement on EU environmental governance. Whereas some observers see eastern enlargement as a potential threat to EU environmental governance, this contribution argues that it should be seen as an opportunity to intensify ongoing reform efforts. Ingmar von Homeyer from Ecologic Institute was the author of this article.Read more

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Energy

Ecologic Legal

Paradigmenwechsel in der Energiepolitik

In July 2004, the German Federal Cabinet adopted the draft amendment of the law governing non discriminatory network access (EnWG - Energiewirtschaftsgesetz). It transposes the EU Acceleration Directive for electricity and gas into German national law. Nicole Wilke and Camilla Bausch explain the essential elements of the draft amendment in an article.

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Ecologic Legal

Über Lissabon zu einem nachhaltigen Europa?

Wie die Europäische Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie gestärkt werden kann

The transition to a sustainable development is a strategic aim of the EU. To this end, the European Council adopted during the meeting in Gothenburg 2001 a European Sustainable Development Strategy. The mid-term review of the strategy is scheduled for next year (2005). How has the European Sustainable Development Strategy performed so far? In this article, Ecologic analyses both the relation between the Sustainable Development Strategy and the Lisbon process as well as the weaknesses of the strategy, and suggests a way forward. Read more