Kranz N., E. Interwies, A. Vorwerk (2005): Transboundary regimes in the Amudarya basin, Appendix to Deliverable 1.3.1 of the NeWater project, Berlin.

In the cases of climate change, overfishing of oceans, biodiversity loss, and land erosion and desertification, inadequate - or the complete lack of - environmental protection policies impose significant costs on the affected parties. In this scoping study the costs of policy inaction related to different environmental issues are explored. The emphasis is on methodological considerations such as the accrual and valuation of such costs and the use of the results to support policy making.

This background paper informs the participants of the Strategic Workshop about the three central topics energy security, values and transatlantic communication. It provides information on the background, suggests topics for discussion and recommends further literature on the topic. On 15 December 2005 Ecologic Institute, with support from the Robert Bosch Foundation, organized this workshop in Berlin to identify and raise awareness about those environmental policy issues. The paper is available for download.

This report summarizes the in-depth conversations of the workshop "Transatlantic Environmental Relations", concentrating on energy security, values and transatlantic communication. On 15 December 2005 Ecologic Institute, with support from the Robert Bosch Foundation, organized this workshop in Berlin to identify and raise awareness about those environmental policy issues. The workshop report is available for download.

Council Directive 96/61/EC concerning integrated pollution prevention and control was adopted in September 1996 and had to be transposed by EU Member States by 30 October 1999. In June 2003 the European Commission launched a consultation process on the possible future development of the Directive during which some stakeholders advocated certain technical changes such as the clarification of certain provisions that are currently perceived as unclear or the extension of the scope of the Directive in terms of industrial activities covered. The purpose of this project is to gather data on and conduct an analysis of the economic, environmental, and social impacts of such possible technical change.

<img alt="lee lane" hspace="2" src="downloads/dinner_dialogue/2005/lee_lane_II_80_80.jpg" align="right" vspace="2" border="0" />US energy and climate policy was the topic of the Transatlantic Climate Dinner in honor of Lee Lane, Executive Director of the Climate Policy Center in Washington, D.C. The event participants discussed the possibility of and need for an effective US climate policy, in light of the developments at the sub-national, federal and international levels. This Transatlantic Climate Dinner took place on 14 December 2005 in Berlin.

The newly introduced law on project-based mechanisms (ProMechG), which entered into force 30 September 2005, was the topic of the Climate Talk on 12 December 2005. At the event the new cooperation partner for the Climate Talk, the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), was introduced. At DIW's offices in Berlin-Dahlem, the participants vividly discussed the ProMechG and its implications for businesses.

On 8 December 2005 the German Associaton for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA) organised an expert meeting entitled "25 years of practical experience with Waste Water Charges". Presentations and discussions centered on whether to abolish, keep or modify the Waste Water Charge. Ecologic Policy Advisor Peter Kessler spoke on "Waste water charges and the Water Framework Directive – What does the Directive require?". He argued that an abolishment without substition of the Waste Water Charge would violate the principle of cost recovery (environmental costs) of Art. 9 of the Directive.

In her contribution at the international capacity-building workshop on Integrated Water Resources Management Nicole Kranz discussed the experiences with participative water management in the Rhine basin and outlined possible inspirations to be derived for water management in Northern Africa.

On occasion of the capacity-building workshop on Integrated Water Resources Management, R. Andreas Kraemer spoke to participants from several Maghreb countries about the management of flood and drought events. After contrasting the specific situations in Europe and Northern Africa and outlining the differences, but also common challenges, he went on to discuss structural and non-structural measures to prevent negative effects from floods and droughts in both regions.

The Yearbook Ecology 2006 was published at the end of September 2005. Ecologic is one of the institutes supporting this yearbook. This year's focus is on the assessment of German environmental policy under the SPD and Greens, current conceptualisations of nature, genetically modified organisms, as well as environment and development issues.