Title: Technical Report on Socio-Economic Trends,Macro-Economic Impacts and Cost Interface
Abstract: The economic assessment of priorities for a European environmental policy
plan focuses on twelve identified Prominent European Environmental
Problems such as climate change, chemical risks and biodiversity. The
study, commissioned by the European Commission (DG Environment) to a
European consortium led by RIVM, provides a basis for priority setting
for European environmental policy planning in support of the sixth
Environmental Action Programme as follow-up of the current fifth
Environmental Action Plan called 'Towards Sustainability'. The analysis
is based on an examination of the cost of avoided damage, environmental
expenditures, risk assessment, public opinion, social incidence and
sustainability. The study incorporates information on targets, scenario
results, and policy options and measures including their costs and
benefits. Main findings of the study are the following. Current trends
show that if all existing policies are fully implemented and enforced,
the European Union will be successful in reducing pressures on the
environment. However, damage to human health and ecosystems can be
substantially reduced with accelerated policies. The implementation
costs of these additional policies will not exceed the environmental
benefits and the impact on the economy is manageable. This requires
future policies to focus on least-cost solutions and follow an integrated
approach. Nevertheless, these policies will not be adequate for
achieving all policy objectives. Remaining major problems are the excess
load of nitrogen in the ecosystem, exceedance of air quality guidelines
(especially particulate matter), noise nuisance and biodiversity loss.
This report is one of a series supporting the main report: European
Environmental Priorities: an Integrated Economic and Environmental
Assessment. The areas discussed in the main report are fully documented
in the various Technical reports. A background report is presented for
each environmental issue giving an outline of the problem and its
relationship to economic sectors and other issues; the benefits and the
cost-benefit analysis; and the policy responses. Additional reports
outline the benefits methodology, the EU enlargement issue and the
macro-economic consequences of the scenarios. This report documents
Socio-Economic Trends, Macro-Economic Impacts and Cost
Interface.
Publication Year: 2001
Publication Date: 2001-09-21
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
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