European trade of forest products in the presence of EU policy

Increasing the share of renewable energy is of principal concern for the EU energy policy. A number of policies have been adopted, and, in part, been implemented by the EU member countries. An increasing share of renewable energy implies an increasing utilisation of biofuels in general and of forest-based biomass in particular. However, in the EU, the endowment and uses of forest-base biomass are diverse suggesting that an increasing trade would become necessary in order to cost effectively increase the utilisation of forest-based biomass. The purpose of this study is to, in the presence of EU energy policy, quantify and analyse possible trade levels for forest fuels in the EU. Particularly, the consequences on trade after implementing the White Paper and the RES-E Directive are analysed. Investigating the European trade in forest fuels is important for understanding how industry sectors in the EU will be affected by the policies. The results suggest that the implementation of the White Paper and the RES-E Directive will increase the trade in forest fuels, resulting in total trade increases of up to 67 percent. Furthermore, the national net trading levels are possible to derive. Depending on policy implementation the results differ – a country that was net importing given the White Paper implementation can instead be net exporting when applying the RES-E Directive. The fact that the policy implementations will increase the trade may mitigate potential industry problems to secure the needed inputs. On the other hand, the integration of countries increases the possibility for some industries to increase their production even more, possibly strengthening any input scarcity problems. It is therefore not possible to generally conclude if a more integrated European forest fuel market, and hence an increased European forest fuel trade, will mitigate industry problems to secure their needed inputs or not.     

国外生态城市建设立法经验及其对中国的启示

随着人口、资源、环境与城市化的矛盾日益突出,生态城市已成为未来城市发展的主流趋势。目前中国以生态城市为建设目标的城市越来越多。通过完善的法律法规体系规范生态城市建设,对促进城市的持续、健康、协调发展具有十分重要的意义。文章采用单因子分析与系统分析方法相结合、规范分析与实证分析相结合、比较分析与法理演绎分析相结合的方法,在考察日本、美国、欧盟等国家生态城市建设立法经验的基础上,进一步探讨了中国生态城市建设立法的现状和存在的问题,并根据国外立法经验,提出相应对策。     

Impact assessment in the European Commission – a system with multiple objectives

Impact assessment (IA) is an instrument that is gradually making inroads into European Union policy making. Great ambitions are tied to the introduction of a compulsory system of IA as a way to achieve better regulation but also as a tool to improve legitimacy of government and increase unity in European politics. In order to raise the quality of the assessments, which has been questioned, there is a call for application of more evidence-based methods. As a result, there might be a window of opportunity for greater use of scientific support in impact assessment work.However, the EC's IA system has several overlapping and partly contradictory objectives – to produce estimates about possible future impacts is only one of them. The IA system should be understood as a political instrument shaped by its multiple objectives and the political context of permanent negotiations in which it is situated.The arguments put forward emanate from a close reading of EC documents concerning IA procedures and the ambitions they display paired with assessment practices as revealed in interviews with officials in the main EU institutions, trying to perform IAs and to cope with the political balancing act they are embedded in.     

德国实施温室气体排放交易管理体系经验及启示

运用市场机制减少温室气体排放,是欧盟积极应对气候变化,实现其减排承诺的重要手段。本文从德国排放交易制度建立的背景和法律保障、德国排放交易管理机构的职能、温室气体排放交易的实施程序和额度分配、以及交易的质量保证等方面,详细介绍和分析德国温室气体排放交易管理体系。并在此基础上进一步阐述了其对我国温室气体排放交易管理的启示,并结合我国污染物普查及总量控制等经验,从法制建设、总量控制、交易管理、机构建设等方面提出了相应意见和建议。     

The economics of greening Romania’s energy supply system

Despite the declining trends in total energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, energy intensity, and emission intensity over the past two decades, Romania still emits more greenhouse gas per unit of output than many other members of the European Union. The country is looking for further greening of its energy supply system to achieve the clean energy and climate change mitigation goals included in the European Union’s 2030 target and 2050 Roadmap. Using an energy supply optimization model, TIMES, this study develops energy supply mixes for Romania under a baseline scenario that satisfies the European Union’s current energy and climate targets for 2020, a green scenario that satisfies the European Union’s 2030 energy and climate targets, and a super green scenario that satisfies the European Union’s prospective 2050 energy road map. The study finds that although Romania could achieve the green scenario at a moderate cost, it would be challenging and costly to achieve the super green scenario.     

欧洲共同体环境法的演生与发展

欧洲共同体环境法是国际环境法重要而有物色的组成部分，它的成功经验对国际法特别是区域国际环境法的制定和实施具有很高的参考价值。欧洲共同体环境法是欧洲共同体法的组成部分，只有以整个欧洲共同体法发展为背影才能明察它的演生与发展历程。     

Financial adaptation to disaster risk in the European Union

Increasing losses from weather related extreme events coupled with limited coping capacity suggest a need for strong adaptation commitments, of which public sector responses to adjustments to actual and expected climate stimuli are key. The European Commission has started to address this need in the emerging European Union (EU) climate adaptation strategy; yet, a specific rationale for adaptation interventions has not clearly been identified, and the economic case for adaptation to extremes remains vague. Basing the diagnosis on economic welfare theory and an empirical analysis of the current EU and member states’ roles in managing disaster risk, we discuss how and where the public sector may intervene for managing climate variability and change. We restrict our analysis to financial disaster management, a domain of adaptation intervention, which is of key concern for the EU adaptation strategy. We analyse three areas of public sector interventions, supporting national insurance systems, providing compensation to the affected post event as well as intergovernmental loss sharing through the EU solidarity fund, according to the three government functions of allocation, distribution, and stabilization suggested by welfare theory, and suggest room for improvement.     

Disassemblability of end-of-life vehicle: a critical review of evaluation methods

Environmental sustainability has become the main items of contest in the automotive industries. Therefore in the order to reduce the environmental impact of end-of-life vehicles, European Union, Japan, USA, and Australia laws require manufacturers to take back their products at the end of their useful life and recycle them. In order to enhance the recycling rate of the vehicle, disassemblability of the automotive components has been a major concern. In the chain of end-of-life, except for landfill and incineration, components of economic value destined for reuse, remanufacture, or recycling have first to be disassembled from the end-of-life vehicles. There are several efforts within the academic community to rationalise design for disassembly and recycling, and several attempts by industry to study these issues in the context of specific products. Recent publications offer a broad perspective on recyclability and disassemblability. It is therefore necessary to determine the optimal stage of disassembly, when all economically valuable components are retrieved. This paper presents a review of several disassemblability methods, including spread sheet-like chart, end-of-life value and time for disassembly. The review concludes on the need for an effective disassembly method in order to enhance the recovery of products.     

欧盟循环经济发展经验及对我国固体废物管理的启示

在全球循环经济发展的背景下,欧盟全面推进循环经济转型,我国也在循环经济实践中取得一定成果。最新修订的《固体废物污染环境防治法》明确提出推行绿色发展方式,促进清洁生产和循环经济发展。我国正在开展的"无废城市"建设试点工作聚焦于推动实现固体废物可持续管理,助力城市经济社会高质量发展。本文聚焦欧盟始于2015年的循环经济1.0时代到2020年开启的循环经济2.0时代,深入分析其相继出台的重要政策措施以及所取得的成效,总结分析欧盟循环经济发展的经验,尤其是深入分析总结其中针对固体废物管理的相关举措和成效,以期为我国提升固体废物管理水平、推进"无废城市"建设提供可借鉴的经验。     

欧盟航空碳税对中国的影响及应对建议

尽管始终备受争议的航空碳税计划终于在欧盟内外的双重压力之下面临流产,但是建立全球碳排放交易体系终究是大势所趋,中国在这一问题上应该有前瞻性.由于欧盟航空碳税同环保高度相关,本文通过资料调研及数据收集,对欧盟此举的主要原因和对中国的影响进行了分析,并从保护航空业竞争力、介入全球碳排放交易体系设计和我国环保工作实际出发提出了应对建议.     

湿地景观破碎化对东方白鹳栖息地的影响——以三江平原东北部区域为例

以野外栖息地要素调查为基础,通过模型定量化分析,研究了三江平原东北部湿地景观破碎化过程及其对东方白鹳栖息地的影响。结果显示:当景观面积占区域面积超过50%,景观连通度高于50时,景观基质处于低度破碎化状态,景观斑块面积丧失对栖息地影响显著;当景观面积占区域面积小于30%,景观连通度低于30时,景观处于高度破碎化状态,景观空间隔离、斑块形状以及景观结构对栖息地影响更为显著。景观破碎化过程中,沼泽湿地主要在面积丧失方面对东方白鹳觅食地产生影响;而湖泡和岛状林湿地在斑块数量丧失和空间隔离方面对东方白鹳筑巢地和觅食地产生显著影响。     

Integrated pollution prevention and control in large industrial installations on the basis of best available techniques – The Sevilla Process

With respect to emissions from industry, the IPPC Directive is one of the key instruments of the environmental legislation of the European Union. The purpose of this Directive is to achieve integrated pollution prevention and control from large industrial installations. The conditions of required permits have to be based on Best Available Techniques (BAT). In 1997, the so-called Sevilla Process was established to develop these BAT. Since then, 33 Best Available Techniques REFerence Documents (BREFs) were drafted, adopted and published. This Sevilla Process with its actors is described. The BREFs are unique documents containing ambitious consumption and emission levels which cannot be found anywhere else.     

REACh as a paradigm shift in chemical policy – responsive regulation and behavioural models

The European Union is changing its general approach to chemical regulation by introducing the new programme REACh, i.e. Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals. In this paper we argue that REACh is nothing less than a paradigm shift in the regulatory approach of the EU. Generally speaking, REACh places all major responsibilities with firms rather than on administrative bodies. At the same time, this policy is far from undemanding: companies marketing substances falling under REACh must ensure that along the production chain dangers to health and environment will be mastered throughout all intermediate and final users of the substance or the product containing the substance. In other words, producers of REACh chemicals must start downstream information and communication processes along the entire production chain to meet the requirements of the directive, which is stipulating both gathering the risk-related information and implementing appropriate risk-reduction measures. This paper aims to identify the major changes in the policy approach induced by REACh, and the type of behavioural model necessary to give a well-founded prognosis.In this paper we describe briefly responsive regulation as the new underlying paradigm of regulation as opposed to hierarchical regulation. From there we proceed to analyse the concept of self-responsibility in this context, and suggest adopting an agent-specific approach. In order to form expectations about the possible outcome of such regulation, behavioural models need to be well-defined for a systematic analysis of incentives imposed by REACh. We propose a behavioural model of homo oeconomicus institutionalis in order to allow cognitive limits and rule-following behaviour of individuals in complex situations. As can be seen, cognitive limits as well as rule-following behaviour are of paramount importance to highly complex regulations such as REACh. In conclusion, REACh demands not only a new paradigm of regulation, such as responsive regulation, but also a modified approach of behavioural analysis for prognosis, such as the concept of homo oeconomicus institutionalis.Further, the incentives facing agents regulated by REACh need to be analysed. Apparently, REACh does not sufficiently take into account that regulative approaches based on self-responsibility must be supported by adequate incentives, in order to reach the objectives.     

欧盟水环境标准体系

分析了欧盟水环境标准体系的发展变革,概述了其中的标准及政策,阐述了欧盟环境标准的直接适应效力、优先于成员国法的效力和从属原则等法律特征,归纳了欧盟环境标准指令在各成员国内的实施要求和欧盟水环境标准的特点,并对中国水环境标准的制定与实施提出了建议.      

Linking analyses and environmental Kuznets curves for aggregated material flows in the EU

The relationship between economy and environmental impacts has been an essential topic in the discussion on environmental problems for a long time. From the 1990s, this relationship has gained a position in environmental policy as well. De-coupling the use of natural resources from economic growth has been set as one of the policy goals in the sixth Environmental Action Programme by the European Commission. In the scientific discussion, the concept of environmental Kuznets curve deals closely with the de-coupling or de-linking phenomenon. Aggregated material flows, on the other hand, have often been considered as a macro-level proxy of environmental degradation. Different methods or approaches have been designed for “sustainability” or “carrying capacity” evaluation as well. The objective of this article is (i) to discuss the possibilities and limitations of using environmental and economic indicators in the sustainability analysis at the macro level, (ii) to present a theoretical framework for the linking analysis including a classification of the degrees of de-linking/re-linking environmental impacts from/to economic growth, and (iii) to give an empirical example by using indicators of direct material flows as a proxy of environmental degradation and by applying the framework into the European Union and its 15 member countries. The results show that the trend in the European Union is a weak de-linking of material flows from economic growth during the years 1980–2000. In other words, material intensity of the economy has generally decreased due to increased efficiency, but the absolute amount of material use has increased, although at a lower rate of increase than economic growth. On the other hand, there is a quite large variation between different EU member countries. However, absolute decrease in the use of materials cannot be found as a continuous trend between the years 1980 and 2000 in any of the studied EU member countries.     

Rethinking the role of information in chemicals policy: implications for TSCA and REACH

This article analyses the role of different kinds of information for minimizing or eliminating the risks due to the production, use, and disposal of chemical substances and contrasts it with present and planned (informational) regulation in the United States and the European Union, respectively. Some commentators who are disillusioned with regulatory approaches have argued that informational tools should supplant mandatory regulatory measures unflatteringly described as “command and control.” Critics of this reformist view are concerned with the lack of technology-innovation forcing that results from informational policies alone. We argue that informational tools can be made more technology inducing – and thus more oriented towards environmental innovations – than they are under current practices, with or without complementary regulatory mechanisms, although a combination of approaches may yield the best results.The conventional approach to chemicals policy envisions a sequential process that includes three steps of (1) producing or collecting risk-relevant information, (2) performing a risk assessment or characterization, followed by (3) risk management practices, often driven by regulation. We argue that such a sequential process is too static, or linear, and spends too many resources on searching for, or generating information about present hazards, in comparison to searching for, and generating information related to safer alternatives which include input substitution, final product reformulation, and/or process changes. These pollution prevention or cleaner technology approaches are generally acknowledged to be superior to pollution control. We argue that the production of risk information necessary for risk assessment, on the one hand, and the search for safer alternatives on the other hand, should be approached simultaneously in two parallel quests. Overcoming deficits in hazard-related information and knowledge about risk reduction alternatives must take place in a more synchronized manner than is currently being practiced. This parallel approach blurs the alleged bright line between risk assessment and risk management, but reflects more closely how regulatory agencies actually approach the regulation of chemicals.These theoretical considerations are interpreted in the context of existing and planned informational tools in the United States and the European Union, respectively. The current political debate in the European Union concerned with reforming chemicals policy and implementing the REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) system is focused on improving the production and assessment of risk information with regard to existing chemicals, although it also contains some interesting risk management elements. To some extent, REACH mirrors the approach taken in the United States under the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976. TSCA turned out not to be effectively implemented and provides lessons that should be relevant to REACH. In this context, we discuss the opportunities and limits of existing and planned informational tools for achieving risk reduction.     

Impact assessment of climate policy on Poland's power sector

This article addresses the impact of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on Poland’s conventional energy sector in 2008–2020 and further till 2050. Poland is a country with over 80% dependence on coal in the power sector being under political pressure of the European Union’s (EU) ambitious climate policy. The impact of the increase of the European Emission Allowance (EUA) price on fossil fuel power sector has been modelled for different scenarios. The innovation of this article consists in proposing a methodology of estimation actual costs and benefits of power stations in a country with a heavily coal-dependent power sector in the process of transition to a low-carbon economy. Strong political and economic interdependence of coal and power sector has been demonstrated as well as the impact caused by the EU ETS participation in different technology groups of power plants. It has been shown that gas-fuelled combined heat and power units are less vulnerable to the EU ETS-related costs, whereas the hard coal-fired plants may lose their profitability soon after 2020. Lignite power plants, despite their high emissivity, may longer remain in operation owing to low operational costs. Additionally, the results of long-term, up to 2050, modelling of Poland’s energy sector supported an unavoidable need of deep decarbonisation of the power sector to meet the post-Paris climate objectives. It has been concluded that investing in coal-based power capacity may lead to a carbon lock-in of the power sector. Finally, the overall costs of such a transformation have been discussed and confronted with the financial support offered by the EU. The whole consideration has been made in a wide context of changes ongoing globally in energy markets and compared with some other countries seeking transformation paths from coal. Poland’s case can serve as a lesson for all countries trying to reduce coal dependence in power generation. Reforms in the energy sector shall from the very beginning be an essential part of a sustainable transition of the whole nation’s economy. They must scale the power capacity to the future demand avoiding stranded costs. The reforms must be wide-ranging, based on a wide political consensus and not biased against the coal sector. Future energy mix and corresponding technologies shall be carefully designed, matched and should remain stable in the long-term perspective. Coal-based power capacity being near the end of its lifetime provides an economically viable option to commence a fuel switch and the following technology replacement. Real benefits and costs of the energy transition shall be fairly allocated to all stakeholders and communicated to the society. The social costs and implications in coal-dependent regions may be high, especially in the short-term perspective, but then the transformation will bring profits to the whole society.     

Product-related information for sustainable use of laundry detergents in Finnish households

The purpose of this paper is to report on research on how product-related information can guide sustainable product use in the context of laundry detergents. More precisely, the purpose of the study was designed to analyse how the detergent package information and dosing instructions are read, understood and followed in the Finnish households. Data collection methods included interviews in 340 Finnish households in 2004 and 299 households in 2005 with a standardised questionnaire. Results show that the majority of respondents did not know if the washing water is hard or soft, which indeed has a direct effect on dosing amounts. However, package information per se was found to be easily understandable, although dosing instructions for calculating the right amount of detergent for the laundry were often confusing. Finally, it is discussed how product-related information could be further improved to guide sustainable product use and to educate consumers about sustainable consumption.     

Environmental impact of packaging and food losses in a life cycle perspective: a comparative analysis of five food items

The environmental concern and development issues regarding packaging has for 20 years to a high extent been on packaging when it has become waste. To reduce the environmental impact from the whole food packaging system it is also important to develop the packaging’s ability to reduce food waste. In some cases it may be necessary to increase the environmental impact of packaging in order to reduce food waste. In this paper, the environmental impact of packaging and food losses and the balance between the two has been examined for five different food items. The results show that packaging’s that reduce food waste can be an important tool to reduce the total environmental impact, even if there is an increase in impact from the packaging itself. This is especially true for food items where the environmental impact of the food is high relative the packaging, for example cheese, and for food items with high losses, for example bread. It is important to analyse the risk of increasing food losses when packaging design changes, for example, when the aim is less packaging material, which is the main intention of the packaging and packaging waste directive of the European Union.     

Perspectives on social capacity building for natural hazards: outlining an emerging field of research and practice in Europe

Social capacity building for natural hazards is a topic increasingly gaining relevance not only for so-called developing countries but also for European welfare states which are continuously challenged by the social, economic and ecological impacts of natural hazards. Following an outline of recent governance changes with regard to natural hazards, we develop a heuristic model of social capacity building by taking into account a wide range of existing expertise from different fields of research. Particular attention is paid to social vulnerability and its assessment, as well as to risk communication and risk education as specific strategies of social capacity building. We propose to distinguish between interventionist and participatory approaches, thus enabling for a better understanding of existing practices of social capacity building as well as their particular strengths and weaknesses. By way of conclusion, we encourage more research on social capacity building for natural hazards in the European context which at present is highly diverse and, at least in parts, only poorly investigated.