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In the literature on the subject, it is argued that tax policy is one of the tools stimulating the transition toward sustainable economies. Public authorities can use two functions for this purpose: fiscal and non-fiscal functions. High emission rates and the rising rapid atmospheric changes that come with them are serious threats to the climate and sustainable development. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the goals towards which the world strives (including the EU), so as to keep a balance between people's expectations, economic aspects, and the needs of the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to explain whether, along with other factors, environmental policy and its component "green taxes" can act as a factor in limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of this article is to seek an answer to the question of whether "green taxes" as an instrument of tax policy are a significant factor influencing climate change by contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This article attempts to identify the determinants of greenhouse gas emissions (the dependent variable) using the method of linear regression analysis. Multiple linear regression models are used to predict the value of the dependent variable based on the values of the independent variables (identified from the literature). Trading of CO2 emissions was not included in the analysis due to lack of data. The regression analysis was carried out using specialized statistical software (SPSS). The authors negatively verified the hypothesis that environmental taxes are a significant determinant of greenhouse gas emission reductions compared to the analyzed determinants. "Population", "current and capital transfers for environmental protection", and "supply, transformation and consumption of solid fossil fuels" are the most important factors influencing greenhouse gas emissions. Changing consumer behavior (as an effect of the non-fiscal function of taxes) appears to be an extremely important factor in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, the public authorities should promote behaviors conducive to their reduction by means of incentives, and not mainly taxation of negative behavior or fiscal incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, great efforts are being made in order to establish sustainable development at all levels. European Union (EU) member states are obliged to meet the requirements in the area of environmental protection. In this paper, the authors conducted a comparative study of environmental attitudes among young people from both EU transition countries and EU candidate countries. The objective was to determine the differences in environmental attitudes, environmental awareness and self-efficacy of the youth from these two groups of countries and the EU environmental policy implementation level. Results indicated that the influence of EU membership exists when it comes to the environmental attitudes of youth from the analyzed countries. Average values showed the unsatisfactory situation regarding environmental awareness and self-efficacy of respondents. In order to define the relations among environmental attitudes, selfefficacy and environmental awareness, a structural model was created. This analysis showed that these three components work the same way in both groups of countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has turned the Arctic simultaneously into an environmentally highly fragile space and a region offering manifold economic opportunities. The notion of 'Arctic Paradox' aptly captures the trade-off between environmental protection needs and economic prospects. We investigate how the European Union has positioned itself regarding this Paradox by asking to what extent its Arctic policy discourse integrates environmental concerns. Analysis involving the main strategies of EU institutions, and the EU's Arctic and major non-Arctic members finds three co-existing coalitions with differing visions of environmental policy integration in the Arctic. The aggregate EU discourse on the Arctic is currently 'green by omission', that is, by explicitly avoiding a clear stance on the trade-off embodied in the 'Arctic Paradox'. We attempt to explain this, and conclude by discussing the likelihood of the EU developing a genuinely environment-oriented Arctic policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) has historically sought to influence environmental policies of other countries through multilateral environmental agreements. Under its 7th Environmental Action Plan and Trade for All strategy it now seeks to extend its environmental policy projection through trade; its recent free trade agreements now contain chapters addressing environment and sustainable development. However, by adopting high environmental standards the EU can also advance its own economic interests suggesting an ambiguous motivation. The recent Korean, Japanese and Canadian FTAs and the Mercosur agreements are examined in order to place the extent of this environmental turn within the context of economic advantage. The finding is that while environmental protection provisions in these FTAs may have environmental benefits, they may also serve EU domestic economic interests. This motivation has implications for new FTA negotiations, such as those with New Zealand and Australia, and now the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A right for a healthy environment is an essential human right. The Government of the Slovak Republic realizes it and it has created a sufficient legal framework for its protection. An integration into the European Union has supported the growth in the investments into environmental infrastructure, updating of environmental policies as well as a modernization of the institutions even though the pace of changes in the above spheres lags behind an economic development. This study evaluates the amount of public expenditure to be spent for environmental protection in the Slovak Republic, it identifies the main environmental spheres into which the spent expenditure flows, examines the structure of the expenditure according to the type of expenditure as well as according to an economic classification, identifies the weaknesses of the process, indicates how the allocation of the spent funds could be more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, innovative governance architectures have been progressively promoted across European Union (EU) environmental and climate policies with the purpose of improving the effectiveness of intervention through better cross-sectoral policy integration and increased involvement of sub-state and non-governmental actors in the policy process. By combining the theoretical insights of polycentric governance and the concept of usage, the case of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) is analysed to uncover the extent to which this voluntary programme has empowered local authorities within the EU strategy for sustainable energy by encouraging coordination and learning. This illustrates how a range of policy variables determined the dynamics of the programme's implementation in Italy and the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) has become the main driver for environmental policy output for its member states whose number has more than tripled over the past four decades. The EU's deepening and widening has led researchers to expect more non-compliance with EU environmental legislation. In fact, however, the implementation gap has narrowed over the past 25 years. Except for Southern enlargement, taking on new member states has not exacerbated the EU's compliance problem in the field of environmental policy. Nor has the expansion of the environmental acquis. This is explained by the European Commission's strategies of managing and enforcing compliance. EU environmental policy has become less demanding on member states since it increasingly tends to amend existing rather than set new legislation. Simultaneously, the Commission has developed new instruments to strengthen member state capacities to implement EU environmental legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the millennium, heavy industrial companies in the EU must face the threat related to duty of emissions trading. The aim of this paper is to assess an impact of selected indicators of the emissions trading system (EU ETS) - number of grandfathered permits (allowances) to a company for free and emissions price for different type of permits. That is enabled by the parameterization and sensitivity analysis of the simple linear programming model which maximizes the total profit margin of the company. Analyses in this paper are performed using the data of one real iron and steel producing company in the Czech Republic. The influence of the chosen factors is explored for the second and the available part of the third trading phase of the EU ETS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1972, at the level of the European Community, as a result of the Stockholm Conference, a series of successive programmes have been adopted, which have established both future legislative proposals and prospects on environmental policy. The programmes were aimed at setting goals that will be achieved in environmental protection field in the European Community. So far, seven such programmes have been established, called Environmental Action Programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article starts from the assumption that the European Union (EU) could play a leading part in reducing the negative environmental impacts of sport. The extent to which the EU fulfills its potential in this regard depends upon the integration of environmental objectives in EU sports policy. The article has a dual purpose. First, it analyzes the integration of environmental objectives at the different stages of the policy process. Second, it identifies the main barriers to the integration of environmental protection and explores the way forward. It is shown that establishing an Expert Group focusing solely on mitigating the environmental impact of sport is a suitable strategy for integrating environmental considerations at the heart of the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maintenance of High Nature Value (HNV) farming is a priority for reaching the target of halting biodiversity loss in the European Union by 2020. Nevertheless, since the introduction of the HNV farming concept in the early 1990s and the first call for HNV farmland indicators in 2000, farmland biodiversity has continued to decline in many parts of Europe. The main processes behind this decline are agricultural intensification and abandonment. Past and current agricultural subsidies and conservation measures have mainly failed to safeguard HNV farmland and the respective farming systems. In this paper, we revise current approaches for localizing and characterizing HNV farming, identify shortcomings and describe the next generation of HNV farming indicators; show how HNV farming is related to existing concepts aimed at biodiversity conservation; and provide an overview of EU policy instruments that could help preserve HNV farming. We finish by outlining which steps should be taken so that HNV farming remains a part of our modern agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential component of the European Union's environmental policy is its participation in international legally binding instruments. Owing to the shared nature of its competence, the Union is most commonly a party to multilateral treaties alongside the Member States. This arrangement, however, is not without its inherent difficulties. The article examines the key stages of the procedure, as laid down in the Treaties and demonstrated by practice: the Commission recommendation to open negotiations, the Council authorization, the negotiating process, and the signing and conclusion of the agreement. The study reveals that the procedure is fraught with tension on two levels. First, each of the EU institutions involved strives to maximize its influence on the final outcome. The European Parliament warrants special attention due to its newly expanded powers. Second, the Member States are unwilling to take the back seat, especially in the sphere of climate talks. As a result, the Union still has recourse to pre-Lisbon practices and is yet to resolve its internal coordination issues in order to achieve its ambition of global leadership in environmental matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross Compliance (CC) is a mechanism for encouraging farmers to fulfill certain environmental conditions in return for governmental support payments. Introduced to United States (US) and European Union (EU) agricultural policy from the 80s onwards, upcoming new US (Farm Bill 2012) and EU (Common Agricultural Policy after 2013) policies will include CC. Cross Compliance is seen (i) as a policy for enforcing environmental objectives or (ii) as a way to organize and reward agricultural public good production. In recent years, the instrument's effectiveness and efficiency have been criticized. To validate the deviating understandings, we drew back on an economic institutionalist perspective. We found that regarding EU CC as payment for public goods does not generally align with the existing German property rights distribution. In both the EU and US, CC standards above those contained regulatory law have characteristics of a payment for public goods but create severe problems. We conclude that CC, even if useful for triggering and broadening environmental protection efforts, may cause several long-term problems. Therefore, the rights structure should be clearly communicated, law enforcement function should be temporary, the instrument should be included in an overall concept, and payments should be better linked to the environmental output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key dimension of the debate about policy innovation is the extent to which new policies achieve significant and lasting effects on the problems they purport to address. However, little is known about such effects. We break new ground by investigating how far current evaluation practices in a policy system with relatively ambitious climate policies – the European Union – identify the most effective (carbon-reducing) policies. We find that a small number of policy instruments are projected to deliver the lion’s share of emission reductions. Setting aside the special case of emissions trading, these instruments are not particularly innovative. If significant practical and political obstacles can be addressed, more (detailed) evaluations could enhance the evidence base and also the political prospects for delivering deeper emissions cuts through to 2050. An evaluation perspective could also offer a very different way to consider policy innovation dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I address the different approaches of the EU and the WTO to the trade and environment conflict and find out in how far the present environmental policy of the EU is compatible with the conditions of the WTO's Art XX GATT. Therefore, I first establish the current level of environmental protection in the EU by analysing the standard aimed for by the EU and its realization in legislation and jurisprudence. To show how environmental protection works in practice, I analyse selected case law and show how EU courts treat trade restrictions on environmental grounds enacted by Member States. Having evaluated the current standard of the EU, I proceed to compare the result with the WTO. I briefly explain institutional environmental developments within the GATT 1947, important environmental cases before the establishment of the WTO 1994 and textual changes in the new WTO Agreement. I then evaluate how Art XX GATT is dealt with in key case law and simultaneously compare this to the results of my analysis of similar EU cases. To conclude, I give a brief outlook on pending cases and a summary of the results of my study in both the EU and the WTO ambit. I point out some important differences in legal texts and case law and finally come to give a negative answer to my initial question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mainstream analyses have often understood environmental effectiveness as a consequence of the shape of interests and policymaking, and have tested their models through statistical techniques. Results have, however, proved quite erratic. It is argued that these weaknesses reflect a misconception about causality, thus highlighting the need for a shift in both model and method. A different model is therefore developed that explains effectiveness through policy tools and ideas. The model is then applied to the performances of the EU15 member states in mid-2000s, and assessed using Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Cases are polarised around two classic cleavages (‘environmentalists’ vs. ‘productivists’, and ‘pro-marketers’ vs. ‘protectionists’), but give evidence that all the related tool mixes are able to deliver – while the relevant difference between leaders and laggards lies in the use of evaluation devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal waste management activities violate specific rules that aim at preventing or reducing the negative effects they may have on the environment and human health. For the purpose of providing a more effective protection of the environment, in many countries and since 2008 even at the European Union (EU) level, besides the relevant administrative offences, it is also provided for a specific criminal offence against environment concerning serious infringements of the waste management legislation. This paper examines the current legal framework in Albania concerning waste-related criminal offences, against the minimum standard set forth by the EU in the Directive 2008/99/EC on the protection of environment through criminal law. While the adoption of the new framework law on Integrated Waste Management in 2011 as part of Albania's efforts in aligning its legislation to that of the EU, has been a positive step towards more stringent rules concerning waste management, thus helping in tackling the serious and constantly evolving problems that the country has been facing in this field for years, the paper suggests that certain amendments to the Criminal Code are also necessary, as the minimum standard of the EU requires that criminal law applies at least in the case of particularly serious infringements of the new waste management legislation. These amendments would increase the protection of the environment and further the alignment of the Albanian legislation with that of the EU, while the country is seeking to fulfill obligations for EU membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years the issue of sustainable development and environmental protection have become a central issue, because of the increasing pollution. Environmental policy applies different types of instruments in order to realize the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development. Although the scale of these instruments are wide, but as the experiences show the economic instruments are the most effective ones considering all of the adverse consequences. Environmental taxes have got more and more significance between the economic instruments. Their significance can be showed by their revenues. In the European Union's regulation the supranational harmonisation of these instruments is inevitable, which is well represented by the regulation of energy taxation. Lots of barriers and counterarguments can be brought up against environmental taxes but a better instrument in the field of environmental regulation has not been invented yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the Ombudsman's decision making with regard to European Union (EU) environmental protection. It analyzes the roles of the Ombudsman in the Union configuration as well as his environmental record. It also discusses ways in which environmental complaints have influenced the locus of the Ombudsman in the EU.

The European Union has become an important leader in international environmental affairs - particularly through the negotiation of multilateral environmental agreements ( MEAs) with favourable terms. In this article, EU environmental leadership is studied from a new perspective, focusing on the ratification stage of environmental regime formation. Specifically, it investigates whether the EU is also capable of motivating third states to join its preferred MEAs. It is argued that third states join the EU's preferred MEAs to signal their compliance with EU environmental standards in an effort to become eligible for various rewards that the EU could potentially offer, including a credible membership perspective, access to its lucrative markets, and aid and assistance. The argument is tested by examining the ratification behaviour of 25 non- EU Member States with regard to all 21 MEAs negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe ( UNECE). The results provide robust support for the theory that EU rewards motivate third states to ratify these treaties. The results withstand a number of statistical tests, even when alternative explanatory factors such as trade intensities, transnational communication and geographic proximity are controlled for. The study is the first large-scale demonstration of the EU's external influence at the ratification stage of environmental regime formation. By identifying three different channels of EU influence, the research permits a more refined understanding of the EU's role as a promoter of environmental protection standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental protection policy is a widely discussed issue in scientific works. However, special attention should be also paid to the effectiveness of expenditures on environmental protection, and this is the main goal of this paper. The countries of the European Union were selected for this analysis due to the fact that, in recent years, this region has become an informal world leader with respect to the implementation of policy measures in the field of environmental protection. For that reason, the data envelopment analysis methodology was used, which allows the calculation of input-output efficiency for the years 2005–2015. The analysis shows that, among the 30 analyzed countries, the most effective in environmental protection actions is Finland. The hypothesis that higher environmental protection expenditures does not result in better environmental results has been confirmed. Our analysis confirmed the problem of the deteriorating efficiency of environmental expenditures across the selected European Union Member States, caused by increases in spending. This research may contribute to the discussion on environmental protection policy design and its assessment, as well as environmental policy results measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental protection is currently one of the key priority areas of the European Union (EU). The search for precise tools to assess the impact of the economy, industry, or the production of individual products or services is crucial for an effective and efficient policy in environmental protection. Blockchain technology, originally related to the financial sector and cryptocurrencies, is an innovative solution that is increasingly being implemented by other areas of the economy and industry sectors. The authors reviewed the literature and based on it presented the possibilities and effects of using blockchain technology in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is in line with the current development trends of this method. The analysis of the research conducted in this area also allowed to present not only the advantages of blockchain in LCA, but also the limitations of this technology and the potential directions of further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the emergence of a decentralized institutional complex, interplay management, and the institutional interplay between the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the EU in the issue area of environmental shipping policies. It shows that the synergistic relationship between both institutions has been driven primarily by commitment and compliance mechanisms. By influencing IMO decision-making and improving the implementation and effectiveness of IMO conventions, the EU has become a driving force in international environmental shipping policies, and its new initiatives may even enhance its leadership role within the IMO in the future. Despite the still-existing lack of cognitive leadership by the EU, the synergies between both institutions provide evidence for the EU's leadership capacities in global environmental politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the informal division of labour in the European Union's (EU's) external environmental policy-making. It focuses on informal arrangements in the EU co-ordination and representation processes with regard to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and international climate negotiations. Whereas the rotating Presidency is formally in charge of leading the internal EU co-ordination and representing the EU externally, we see that in practice an informal system is used, in which member states and Commission officials informally ‘take the lead’. Based upon new-institutionalist insights, this article argues that four functional reasons explain the informality in the EU's external environmental policy-making: burden sharing; expertise pooling; involving member states; and guaranteeing continuity. Moreover, once the informal arrangement is in place, actors in the EU keep using it because they act path-dependently and because it is considered the most appropriate way to act in many international environmental negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The correlation between the concepts of radiation protection and environmental protection in the context of the application of the Euratom Treaty is a subject poorly covered in academic literature, but, nevertheless one of a perennial value and importance for the "nuclear" Europe. The aim of the text is to verify the extent to which the concept of radiation protection extends along the purview of the (much broader) concept of environment protection. Thus, an attempt is made to demonstrate whether the health and safety provisions of the Euratom Treaty and the relevant implementing legislation are solely aimed at protecting the health of humans and for that matter are only concerned with the effects of radiation only as far as they relate to the human factor, or indeed, additionally extend to the other elements comprising the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a broadly accepted fact that a clear reduction of global GHG emissions is required to limit the increase of global warming to a tolerable level. A key issue in this context is the optimal breakdown of reduction targets among different world regions or even countries. Using the European Commission-funded PLANETS project, cost-optimal global burden sharing to reach global GHG reduction targets was analysed, and an optimal allocation of GHG reductions was identified, relative to the global target, to the commitments of different world regions and the trade possibilities for emission certificates. Specifically, it is evaluated how Europe can contribute in a cost-optimal way to keeping the global concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere below 530 parts per million equivalent (ppme) or below a stricter global reduction target of 500 ppme. Based on the energy system model TIMES PanEU, the potentials for emissions reduction in the different energy sectors and EU Member States and the role of key technologies are analysed. The most cost-effective potentials for GHG reductions in Europe are in the conversion/production, residential and industrial sectors. Substantial reductions in the transport sector occur only under very stringent reduction targets. Achieving ambitious reduction targets requires considerable contributions from all EU Member States until 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Expansion of territories targeted by travellers and growth of attendance rates make tourism sector of significant interest for the implementation of policies on environmental protection at the European Union (EU) level. The need to protect local natural heritage, to integrate tourism industry development policies with the ones pertaining to other sectors that characterize a given territory and to enhance the overall environmental performance are some of the priorities that may appear conflicting at times. This paper discusses a method of analysis and planning aiming to promote potential directives of local governance. This method, representing the outcome of a process coordinated and shared across territories, is oriented towards the sustainable development of the area and refers to the implementation of integrated policies, The Interreg Eco Tourism (INTER.ECO.TUR) project, co-financed by the European Commission under the EU's INTERREG IIIC, provided the research with a useful case study to analyse the dynamics of sustainable tourism development within the European Mediterranean area. The debate of its results offers evidences on the possibility to develop such a governance process effectively, providing insight into an assessment methodology enriched by a clear-cut analysis of its applied experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the European Union (EU) Directive on Industrial Emissions reforms for pollution control. It mentions that the directive aims to implement a holistic integrated approach for pollution control in industrial activities and seeks to address issues faced by the Directives on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. It states that the directive requires Members States to strengthen the policy of issuing permits for industries.

From the beginning the EU shows emphasized attention to environmental protection. A number of different programs were prepared to improve the quality of the environment. The three fundamental environmental policy principles of EU: • ethical principle (people's direct interest isn't the only value) • welfare principle (the state of the environment essentially influences people's welfare) • economic principle (the interests of the economic are stronger than the interests of the policy and environmental policy) According to the sustainable development every principle is important, so we have to develop these three equally. Unfortunately the economy practically refuses this idea. Effective intervention of the state needs the appropriate environmental conditions. The first step was to establish the environmental ministry, which initiated so called reactive environmental policy. This ministry checked rigorously the enterprises and gived serious penalties to them. In our region nowadays we use this policy, but the future is the preventive environmental policy. This is based on the self-adjusting, the collaboration of the interested parties and clean production and clean consumption. The change is very difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paper reviews the impact of the Common Maritime Transport Policy of the European Union on the development of the European Union Environmental Policy. An inter-relationship between the economic needs of the Member States and the overall attempt of the European Community to protect and preserve the marine environment is examined. The European Union makes continuous significant contributions to the worldwide efforts in protecting the environment, especially in the maritime field, through a strict adherence to the internationally set standards, as well as the enforcement of the Community measures that often go beyond the minimal criteria set by the international and multilateral treaties. Such additional criteria might bring the European shipowners and the connected maritime industry into an unfavorable competitiveness position on the world market. Additionally, a detailed overview of the international, regional and Community legislation in the marine environmental field is provided, with a special focus on the measures aimed at preventing oil pollution. Finally, a general assessment of the Community's efforts is given, bearing in mind the current legislation and its impact, and the short-term and long-term goals of the European Union Environmental Policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic instruments for environmental protection can be classified in numerous ways. The classification used by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, applied in the European Union (EU) countries, keeps to the following types of instruments: payments, subventions, deposit systems, creating markets and enforcement incentives. Among the instruments implementing the environmental policy of the European Union there are also the instruments specified in the OECD classification, i.e. payments, subventions, deposit systems, market instruments (the trade of pollution emitting, the system of full compensation for ecological damages, the system of ecological insurance and ecoconversion) and financial incentives for the law enforcement. These instruments were discussed and assessed in this article based on examples from /BOS/ Environmental Protection Bank Plc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper presents the use of indicators in a site-specific assessment method for strategic environmental assessment in regional land use planning (here: SEA-REP). It is explained with the example of the state of environment indicator ‘LUCCA 4—Urban Areas at Risk of Flooding’, how SEA as a decision-aiding instrument can contribute to the prevention of conflicts with policy for adaptation to climate change. The method begins with the determination of impact factors for SEA. In the presented study, the physical impact factors of land consumption, land use change, and directed flooding were recognised. A core problem during the selection of indicators for land uses for the adaptation to climate change (here: LUCCA) and the derivation of assessment thresholds was a lack of region-wide policy objectives for the protection of land and resources. Therefore, in a second step, regional environmental orientation objectives were derived from national and EU environmental policy. A standard method for the selection of LUCCA indicators and the derivation of assessment thresholds for conflict analysis is described. Three classes of conflict classification for regional plan designations on the individual site are proposed. It is recommended that future adaptation measures of regional land use planning should be designations of specific land uses as priority areas for urban areas prone to flood risk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This contribution discusses, critically, the application of the so called Aarhus Regulation. This regulation enables environmental NGOs to request an internal review under environmental law of acts adopted, or omissions, by EU institutions and bodies. It emerges that this internal review procedure does not function adequately at all. It can be concluded from the small number of requests that have been lodged since the entry into force of the regulation, that the procedure is not very popular. It appears that in the few cases in which a request for internal review has been lodged, this, leaving aside one single case, did not lead to a substantive assessment of the request. The vast majority of the requests were declared inadmissible. The authors propose that the conditions in the Regulation for admissibility should be interpreted and applied more in conformity with the Aarhus Convention. And that only 'legislative acts' within the meaning of Articles 289-292 TFEU should be excluded from the internal review procedure of the Regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legal basis of EU environmental policy is established by Articles 174 to 176 of the EC Treaty1, plus articles 6 and 95. Article 174 sets out the objectives of environmental policy and has the purpose to ensure a high level of environmental protection taking into account the diversity of situations in different regions of the European Union. In Romania, Environmental Law2 proposes a series of objectives which can be achieved only through the formation of well-trained professional specialists who can carry out its requirements. We considered it useful to conduct a SWOT analysis regarding technical environmental education performed at "Petru Maior" University of Tîrgu-Mureş for training specialists with relevant expertise and able to implement legal requirements concerning environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union has been engaged in an effort to develop a marine strategy to protect the marine environment and a more encompassing integrated maritime policy that would provide a comprehensive system for the management of the uses of the marine areas of Europe. An earlier article by the author described the beginnings of this policy development; this article examines the subsequent 2008 Directive of the European Parliament and the Council, which establishes a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive provides a plan of action with designated responsibilities and obligations and a schedule that is to be adhered to by member states and the European Commission. It represents a significant step in the European endeavor to advance ocean use management and sets the stage for future development of European marine policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protection of nature and landscape in the Czech Republic that follows EU legislative frame is carried out in compliance with general rules and commitments resulting from the Code of Law [1-4] and its legal regulations. The principles of environmental protection in the military sector are defined in the basic regula tion of the Czech Armed Forces [5]. Environmental protection during NATO led operations and contractual training of troops is supported according to STANAG 7141 EP [6]. All military activities with a possible impact on the environment have to be carried out in compliance with the legal system of the Czech Republic, which mostly transposes the EU legislation. The implementation of risk management is a significant proactive tool contributing to the effective allocation of financial, material and personal resources in the environmental protection during military training in the military training areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) adopted by the countries of the European Union in 1999 is the model document on which the urban development strategy in Romania has been based. The objective of spatial planning and organization is to identify the right relationship between the natural environment and human activity with the aim of improving the community's life conditions. The main objective of territorial development strategies is to increase urban comfort. The comfort of urban localities is conferred by the quality, the technological performance of town infrastructure. In this context urban waste management occupies a central place. Ecological waste management contributes to the protection of the environment, and of public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1992 the provision of agri-environmental schemes (AESs) has been obligatory for member states of the European Union. However, decisions concerning the actual design of schemes and measures are left to member states who have to integrate this policy within their administrative structures and to comply with the general rules laid down in the EU rural development regulations. Over time, the respective council regulations have increasingly encouraged member states to design agri-environmental policy in a sub-national, decentralised and participatory way. However, the response to these opportunities has been quite diverse amongst the member states. This paper presents the results of a unique expert survey in nine different member states, focusing on decentralisation and participation. The results show that the way in which decisions are made affects the environmental effectiveness of AES. In particular, the involvement of actors at a local level and the participation of environmental NGOs have a positive effect on the environmental effectiveness of AES. Therefore, it is not surprising that most actors involved in decision making surrounding AESs are in favour of further decentralisation and participation in order to tackle agri-environmental problems. However, actors from the agricultural administration and agricultural associations, which are the most influential groups in terms of the design of AESs, oppose extending participation to the local level and to environmental associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an introduction to articles in this issue and the author's views on how the delivery of environmental benefits can be enhanced by the improved design and implementation of agri-environment schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in European Union (EU). He says that these agri-environment schemes have potential to achieve some of the positive outcomes required under EU environmental policy. Two of the papers in this issue are on on contract design issues.

A large-scale and comprehensive survey of public environmental awareness was carried out in Liaoning Province, China, where one of the largest heavy industrial bases is located. This survey was organized by the EU-CHINA Liaoning Integrated Environmental Program. The aim of the survey was to collect public information and awareness of environmental issues and therefore provide a valuable reference source for the government to formulate environmental policy. Statistical survey specialists and environmental protection experts worked together to establish survey items and questionnaires, and the design and survey were performed in strict accordance to the requirements of the project. The survey involved five large cities and 5996 respondents, representing residents, policy-makers, teachers, students, workers in enterprises, and farmers in suburban regions of the five cities. The evaluation of public opinion on current environmental issues and diversity among different survey groups were summarized statistically. The findings of the survey research are: the public is very concerned about air, water, and food pollution, improvement of the environment for community life and further global environmental changes. The survey also emphasized the need for better education to raise environmental awareness and the importance of public initiatives in environmental protection and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]