The event will be directed towards stakeholders in new and old Member States and will focus on the implementation of Directive 96/61/EC on integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC). It will provide a forum for an exchange of experiences and views on the implementation of the Directive, the use of the reference documents on best available techniques (BREFs) and the future development of the Directive.

As part of the Sustainable Development Strategy process, a conference entitled "Dialogue for the National Sustainable Development Strategy: How could its environmental profile be strengthened?" will be held on 18-19 March 2004. By means of this conference, the German Federal Environment Ministry is seeking to engage all stakeholders in a dialogue, to reflect on achievements and to come up with proposals for the further development of the strategy.

The issue of "Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns" has gained a new impetus in international debates as a result of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 2002. The States now face the challenge of fleshing out the "10-year-framework for programmes" by integrating programme content at their respective national levels. Germany currently faces a multitude of approaches and initiatives to promote sustainable production and consumption patterns,  and the challenge now lies in how to consolidate these methods. Ecologic supports the German Federal Environmental Ministry and the Federal Environment Agency in this project.

The workshop focussed on the aspects that are to be covered in the report 2005 to the European Commission. Approximately 150 German actors of water resource management discussed results, problems and new approaches and the actual state of affairs with regards to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive.

What are the impacts of European infringement procedures regarding the non-compliance with nature conservation legislation? To what extent are infringement procedures capable of enforcing the implementation of this legislation? And, on the other hand, to what extent can protected areas contribute to fulfill the requirements of the nature conservation legislation by means of sustainable management with appropriate financing? In order to discuss these issues an international conference entitled "Applying EU Environmental Legislation in the Field of Marine and Coastal Protection" took place on the Ionian Island of Zakynthos on May 19th and 20th, 2003. The preparation and organisation was carried out by Ecologic in co-operation with the National Marine Park of Zakynthos.

The "EU Common Forum on Contaminated Land" was initiated in 1994 and provides a discussion forum for experts from all EU Member States and Accession Countries. Main topics are the develoment of strategies for the treatment of contaminated sites and for land recycling. Key aspects of the 9th meeting of the Forum in November 2002 at Berlin are the Groundwater Directive, Environmental Liability, Soil Policy, Sustainable Landuse, the 6th RTD Framework Program and two EU research projects (EUGRIS, METROPOLIS).