Publications

As a “framework directive”, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) seeks to bring together all individual acts of legislation and international conventions relating to water utilisation and water conservation. It applies to all types of waters within the territory of the Community, i.e. surface waters (rivers, lakes, transitional waters and coastal wa-

Article 11 (3) l WFD requires measures in the fields of installation-related water conservation and accident precautions. On the basis of an inventory and analysis of the regulations and stipulations of the EU and UN ECE and the recommendations of the international river basin commissions (Danube, Rhine, Oder, Elbe), the report elaborates an action

Unambiguous definition of nanomaterials is of fundamental importance for intended regulations on nanomaterials, since not only the legal obligations have to be clear, but also just what is subject to them.

Air pollution Emissions from shipping, especially SOX, NOX, and PM, are perceived increasingly as a problem for human health and the environment. Efforts by the International Maritime Organisation to reduce these emissions by international agreements have not achieved adequate results.

International shipping is believed to have emitted between 428 and 913 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in 2001. Reduction measures are needed. The report analyses the feasibility of a cap-and-trade system for CO₂ emissions from international shipping linked to the European Emission Trading Scheme (ETS).

Since Summer 2007, Öko-Institut (Institute for Applied Ecology) and IFEU (Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, a non-profit limited liability company, Heidelberg) are carrying out the project “Development of Strategies and Sustainability Standards for the Certification of Biomass for International Trade (Bio-global)” on behalf of Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environmental Agency) .

The propellant gases of OCF – first CFCs, then HCFCs, finally HFCs – have been subject to environmental legislation.

On the CD-ROM you will find the complete contents of the internet application ‘Data on the Environment’ (in German, 2009). The brochure is designed to tell you about selected significant trends within five important areas of environmental protection.

Carbon dioxide emissions decrease almost continuously. The reductions are in equal parts due to economic restructuring in the new Federal States followed by a decrease in lignite use, and the active climate protection policy of the Federal Government.  

In fact, the WTO admissibility of introducing environmentally motivated border tax adjustments (BTAs) via import taxes has not yet been definitively clarified neither by the WTO Panel and the Appellate Body nor in the jurisprudential literature.

Perfluorinated und polyfluorinated chemicals (PFC) are the subject of increasing public debate. Particular interest has been focussed on studies carried out by the Ruhr University in Bochum, which show that certain of these chemicals are absorbed into the human body through drinking water, where they accumulate. 

In Germany, emission allowances (European Union Allowances, EUAs) for the first trading period (2005-2007) were allocated completely free of charge. In the second trading period (2008-2012) annual volumes of 40 million EUAs will be sold (Article 19 ZuG (Zuteilungsgesetz – The German Allocation Act) 2012).