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Global warming combined with low carbon transition plans is threatening the future of high energy consumption industry sectors in the European Union (EU). The need to respond to environmental challenges is demonstrated by support for international level energy policies and legal requirements, such as the Kyoto Protocol which the EU supports, and increased EU-level environmental legislation and energy policies. The effect of these initiatives is gradually transforming industrial activities in the EU. However, since not all countries have adopted these policies, evaluation of their net effect needs to take account also of side-effects such as delocalization of industry activity and the legal environmental frameworks in the countries where companies have chosen to relocate. This paper analyses EU energy policy and its impact on a particular energy intensive industry, the European ceramic tile sector. The discussion in this paper is not about the purpose of EU legislation, but about its effects on a specific industry. The effect of policy on industry is not a new topic, but the question of the unwanted effects of environmental and energy policy on European industry is becoming more relevant as the struggle to achieve a post-carbon Europe increases. In focussing on a specific set of EU legislation on a particular industry this article adds to the debate by showing the negative effects of policy mechanisms. The need for a scientific evaluation of the systemic changes required for a transition to a resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy outlined in the 7th Environment Action Programme is highlighted. It is suggested that the EU should periodically re-evaluate its Emissions Trading Scheme legislation to include specific actions and a follow up system which would prevent the best performing environmental companies from delocalizing or shutting down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main problem addressed in this paper is assessment of quality of current methodologies for expressing environmental tax revenue, since measurements' outcomes have significant influence on the future environmental policies and legislation. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the existing way of measuring financial effects of environmental taxation in EU27 and propose new methodology approach, based on use of ETE – Environmental Taxation Efficiency as a new indicator suggested by authors. The first phase of the study involves the analysis of quality of measuring two existing methodologies (based on the use of GDP and total revenues). In second research stage, the authors apply the newly proposed methodology for determining a composite ETE indicator that, apart from existing indicators, takes into account the environmental taxation effects per capita, as an indicator unjustifiably neglected in previous methods of measuring. Measurement of environmental taxation by using a newly-proposed composite indicator shows significant differences in ranking compared to two current methodologies in use. Only 6 countries showed a very similar rank, regardless of the methodology applied. Differences by more than ten ranking positions were found in 12 countries. The overall results showed significant differences in ranking of all EU-27 countries by using all four indicated methodologies, which clearly points to the conclusion that further improvements are needed. ETE methodology limits predominant role of GDP and introduces a social component which should serve as a basis for further development of a unique methodology for establishing efficient environmental taxation implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the challenges and threats currently facing water management and the exacerbation of uncertainty by climate change, the need for flexible yet robust and legitimate environmental regulation is evident. The European Union took a novel approach toward sustainable water resource management with the passage of the EU Water Framework Directive in 2000. The Directive promotes sustainable water use through long-term protection of available water resources, progressively reduces discharges of hazardous substances in ground and surface waters, and mitigates the effects of floods and droughts. The lofty goal of achieving good status of all waters requires strong adaptive capacity, given the large amounts of uncertainty in water management. Striking the right balance between flexibility in local implementation and robust and enforceable standards is essential to promoting adaptive capacity in water governance, yet achieving these goals simultaneously poses unique difficulty. Applied resilience science reveals a conceptual framework for analyzing the adaptive capacity of governance structures that includes multiple overlapping levels of control or coordination, information flow horizontally and vertically, meaningful public participation, local capacity building, authority to respond to changed circumstances, and robust monitoring, system feedback, and enforcement. Analyzing the Directive through the lens of resilience science, we highlight key elements of modern European water management and their contribution to the resilience of the system and conclude that the potential lack of enforcement and adequate feedback of monitoring results does not promote managing for resilience. However, the scale-appropriate governance aspects of the EU approach promotes adaptive capacity by enabling vertical and horizontal information flow, building local capacity, and delegating control at multiple relevant scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article draws lessons from the experience of the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) that are relevant to current climate change debate in the U.S. It highlights the changes that have been made since the implementation of EU ETS to adapt and improve the performance of the resulting carbon market. It also identifies some lessons that have been learned from this experience and highlights particularly how those lessons shed light on current U.S. policy debates.

The article discusses the issue concerning the effectiveness of the European Union (EU) Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) in addressing environmental damage. The ELD focuses on imposing liability to people on the damage they cause to the environment subjecting them to fines and penalties which aims to promote enhancing environmental protection. It provides an overview on the definitio of ELD and an assessment whether the environmental damage meets the requirements found on the directive's threshold criteria. It concludes that people responsible for environmental damage should carry out remedial actions to restore affected affected areas as states in Annex II of the ELD.

Since 2001, the European Commission has been committed to undertaking an evidence-based impact assessment of all major legislative proposals, covering the potential economic, social and environmental benefits and costs of the proposed policy both inside and outside the European Union. This paper provides as assessment of the quality of a sample of the Commission's extended impact assessment reports, and of the process by which these reports have been prepared. It also considers what lessons might be drawn from this experience and the measures that might be taken to strengthen future assessment practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines, through three case studies, whether German industrial plants suffer from a negative impact on competitiveness caused by stringent environmental legislation. A micro-level analysis showed that abatement initiatives had, in general, been implemented without economic damage and did not touch on the core business. Moreover, German sample plants ranked environmental pressure as relatively unimportant compared with other competitive pressures. Finally, the low absolute levels of compliance costs, at least in two of the case studies, explained why environmental regulations cannot have a great influence on competitiveness in the chosen sectors. High productivity levels were not among the essential factors explaining our findings. It implies for our case studies that also plants with lower productivity can withstand high compliance costs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the deadline for the action plan in reducing noise in France's largest cities which stems from the 2002 European Union's (EU) antinoise directive. It says that the first stage of the EU directive required mapping noise levels in all cities with at least 250,000 people. However, major European cities are missing the deadline for the noise maps. Report shows that most of the reduction noise in cities will come from changing transportation infrastructure. The solutions discussed are making the noise sources quiter and insulating buildings better from outside noise. It also notes that the complexity of dealing with noise is impossible, but European cities are trying to comply with the policy.

The article focuses on the need for the European Union (EU) to revise the directive regulating the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. The idea was raised after EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas inappropriately overturned the recommendation of his scientific advisers and plans to reject the applications for two GM varieties of insect- and herbicide-resistant maize from Sygenta AG and Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. EU countries anticipate that the revision will limit the use of political motives in analyzing applications for GM crops.