This Ecologic Brief is part of the project EcoFuturum "Europe's Democratic Challenge: Actively Shaping European Environmental Policy". It is part of a series of contributions to the European constitutional debates, and Ecologic thus continues its tradition of work on "Greening the Treaties".

Ecologic completed a report reviewing and evaluating practices of public participation in water management in the Havel river basin for the implementation of the EU's Water Framework Directive (WFD). Project results were presented by Nicole Kranz at the TU Berlin workshop on 'Public involvement in river basin management' on 9/10 February 2004. The project report is available for download.

In order to implement its obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as required under the Kyoto Protocol, the European Community elaborated a directive establishing a community-wide greenhouse gas trading system. Ecologic has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environmemnt to analyse the legal framework for implementing the directive in Germany and also to draft the implementing legislation. In addition Ecologic develops provisions for the implementation of the flexible Mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol.

Land consumption in Germany, which is caused mainly by the construction of transportation infrastructure and new housing projects, currently stands at the alarmingly high rate of 130 ha a day. Funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and in cooperation with the Leipniz Institute for Ecological and Regional Development (IÖR), Ecologic is analyzing the contribution of nature protection policy to reducing and managing the demand for land use in Germany. At the centre of this research lie the instruments of nature conservation policy, such as the creation of protected areas, the European Flora and Fauna Directive, Environmental Impact Assessment and landscape planning.

Görlach, B., E. Interwies, S. Loubier et al. (2003): Economic Assessment of Groundwater Protection: Executive summary. Berlin: Ecologic.

This research project is carried out on behalf of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and analyzes aspects relating to the conversion of timber procurement on the federal level in Germany to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Such a conversion is foreseen by the 2002 coalition agreement of the federal government. Tropical timber shall, as a first step, only be procured from FSC certified sources; and the entire timber procurement shall be converted to this standard until the end of the legislative period, accordingly.

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.

R. Andreas Kraemer, the Director of Ecologic Institute, presented a first assessment of recent developments concerning the potential liberalisation of water services in Europe.

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.

On 21 May, the Kyiv report "Europe's environment: The third assessment" was released in the run-up to the meeting of Environment ministers from the wider European continent in Kyiv, Ukraine, which was organised by the UN's Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE). Chapter 13 dealing with progress in managing the environment was drawn up with the joint help of Ecologic and IEEP London.

The book "Risks of Mobile Telecommunication" was published in the series "Studies of the Office for Technology Assessment at the German Parliament". Substantial parts of the book are based on a study conducted by Ecologic. The publication presents an analysis of the scientific and public discourse on the health risks of mobile phones and transmitters. Furthermore, the book gives an overview of the regulatory framework conditions of mobile telecommunication.

The results of the workshop entitled "The Architecture of the Global System of Governance of Trade and Sustainable Development" that took place on 9 and 10 December 2002 in Berlin have been published in an Ecologic Brief. Based on the background paper of the workshop and the debates which took place during the discussions, this brochure seeks to give an overview of the complex issue of the global governance of trade and sustainable development and to convey to a wider audience the main questions facing the research community.

The main conclusions and results of a study exploring functions, rules and practices of NGO participation in international environmental co-operation are presented in an Ecologic Brief. This Ecologic Brief identifies a number of options for a strengthened participation of NGOs in international environmental governance and is intended to contribute to the related international discussions.

Ecologic – Institute for International and European Environmental Policy; Fridtjof Nansen Institute; Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development; Institute for European Environmental Policy 2003: Institutional Interaction – How to Prevent Conflicts and Enhance Synergies between International and EU Environmental Institutions. Final Report.