Ecotaxes on the Belgian Agenda, 1992-5 and Beyond. Environment and Economy at the Heart of the Power Struggle'

The ecotaxes, which were brought into the agenda by by the green parties Ecolo and Agalev in an exceptional political conjoncture, developed into one of the most controversial issues in Belgium from mid-1992 onwards. This chapter starts with a condensed account of this issue within a broader context. The second section analyses the goals, strategies and resources of the main actors involved ; while the third section centres on the main features of the negociation process.