A report by Prof. Konrad von Moltke on the state of WTO-negotiations on paragraph 31 (ii) Doha Development Agenda (Information Exchange between MEAs and the WTO and Observer Status of MEA-Secretariats in relevant WTO Committees) has now been published. The report was presented by Matthias Buck (policy advisor of Ecologic) at the EU-China-Dialogue on Trade and Environment, 24-25 July 2003 in Dalian, China.

Nature protection policy and environmental measures within development and international cooperation play a central role in conflicts over resources. Since the mid-nineties, the topic of globalization was making all the headlines. Since September 2001, global security has dominated the international agenda. Against the background of this development, a special meaning is given to global environmental governance as well as the development of the concept of sustainability. A paper by Sascha Müller-Kraenner and Uwe Brendle.

The way in which international legal disputes can be settled has become a topic of much debate. There is talk of a stagnation of public international law; this has been exacerbated by complicated, inefficient mechanisms and has led to the general perception of this type of law as a blunt sword in the fight for justice. The international law of the sea presented in this article exemplifies ways in which public international law can be improved.

This report aimed to provide an overview of developments in the myriad of international treaties that impact on the conservation and sustainable use of forests. The report focussed particularly on developments relating to public participation of affected stakeholders.

Sustainable Consumption is one of the key factors on the way to Sustainable Development. So far, the implementation of sustainable consumption lacks legally binding international obligations. This study therefore identifies whether and to what extent existing international agreements or organisations could serve as a tool to implement aspects of sustainable development. In addition, the study offers recommendations how further policy integration in the field of sustainable consumption can be achieved. Particular emphasis is placed on international trade law.

This report surveys the WTO rules relating to sustainable forest management. The first version was prepared for distribution at the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, and the final version was presented at the second session of the UN Forum on Forests.

This study aimed at presenting options for achieving coherence between MEAs and the WTO, and was prepared with a view to influencing the 4th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, held in Doha in November 2002.

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.

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 Laeken Declaration, convening the Convention on the Future of Europe, submitted a broad mandate to it, requesting it to reorganise the distribution of tasks between the EU and the Member States. However, the Convention did not consider reallocation of competencies, but rather concentrated on the task of ensuring transparency for the delimitation of competencies. Ecologic published a Brief that presents the system underlying the constitutional division of competencies, points out consequences of the system, and assesses them from an environmental point of view.

The Laeken Declaration, which constitutes the mandate for the European Convention, calls for institutional reforms to improve the EU’s efficiency, democratic accountability and transparency. Although the Convention adopted the draft Constitutional Treaty in June/July 2003, its environmental implications remain highly uncertain. Ecologic published a Brief that analyses the draft Constitutional Treaty. Furthermore, it considers the potential environmental merits and shortcomings of the broader reform options which have provided the backdrop for the Convention’s discussions: What are the basic options for improving the EU’s efficiency, democratic accountability and transparency? How do they fare from the point of view of the environment?

On 19-21 February 2003 the international conference entitled "EU: CAP and Enlargement – An Opportunity for Environment and Nature?" took place in Potsdam, Germany. The primary goal of the conference was to analyse and discuss the complex interactions between EU enlargement, the Common Agricultural Policy and the related impacts on nature and environment. In October 2003 conference proceedings have been published in the series BfN-Skripten of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation.

As state and local governments in the U.S. respond to demanding and complex environmental challenges, environmental policies and best practices from overseas are serving as important models. The reasons are clear – countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Australia have addressed similar environmental challenges by developing and implementing creative and often highly successful solutions. The adaptation of international best practices and innovation in environmental policies represents an important and powerful paradigm shift – from one of exporting environmental expertise and dollars, to one of importing good ideas from around the globe. The paper is available for download.

Peter Beyer's doctoral thesis focuses on an analysis of the integrated concepts of the Council Directive 96/61/EC on integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC-Directive) and its implementation in the German Federal Emissions Control Act, as well as in the Draft of the German Environmental Code.