Article

According to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), all water bodies in the European Union should reach 'good status' by 2015. The WFD is one of the first environmental policy directives of the European Community that explicitly draws on economic considerations for achieving its ambitious objectives. By the end of 2004, an economic analysis of the importance of water uses has to be completed for each river basin district. This article summarises the present implementation status of the economic analysis in Germany and other European Member States and outlines challenges ahead for the reporting deadline 2004. Read more

In response to Article 2.2 of the Kyoto Protocol, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have begun to consider greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international aviation and shipping. However, neither ICAO nor IMO have taken any effective action on the issue yet and progress can be characterised as slow. But there are options for furthering the progress within ICAO and IMO. Read more