Distributional Conflicts as a Constraint for National Implementation and International Harmonization of Environmental Policy

Objective

To analyze the significance of national and international patterns of distribution of economic and ecological resources to the social acceptance of environmental policy. On the basis of such analysis, provide recommendations to solve distribution conflicts which affect the environmental policy of the European Union.

The project is based on the hypothesis that both economic and ecological distribution conflicts have an important influence on environmental policy and on the social sensitivity towards environmental issues.

The project consists of three parts:

i) evaluation of present theories and models about distribution, and development of a conceptual framework -based on an evolutionary approach- for the understanding of the interactions between economic and ecological distribution;

ii) the theoretical concept is investigated in two case-studies that examine the formulation of policies to tackle acid rain and the greenhouse effect in two EU member countries, the Netherlands and Spain. The case studies focus on the following aspects: the distribution of the access to and use of environmental resources and the distribution of income; the national goals of environmental policy and the preferred mixture of policy instruments; the distributional effects of the selected environmental instruments; the role and interests of the relevant lobby groups in regard to the above topics.

iii) suggestions for an environmental policy which considers the advantages and disadvantages of harmonization of environmental measures at the European level are developed, based upon a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical parts of the project.

Programme(s)

• FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 0301 - Formulation and implementation of international environmental agreements

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Institut für Ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung GmbH

Address

Giesebrechstraße 13
10629 Berlin
Germany

Participants (3)

AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA

Spain

Address

Campus Universitari, Edefici B
08193 Bellaterra

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT BRABANT

Netherlands

Address

5000 LE Tilburg

Universiteit van Amsterdam

Netherlands

Address

237,oude Zijds Achterburgwal
1012 NL Amsterdam