Trade and the Environment in the Perspective of the EU Enlargement – DG Env – Trade
Within this project financed by the European Commission, FEEM will organise a two-days workshop under the title "Trade and the Environment in the Perspective of the EU Enlargement". This workshop is aimed at stimulating the debate on the use of economic instruments in implementing environmental and trade policies in the EU and in Central Eastern European Countries (hereinafter CEECs), with a particular focus on their future accession. The workshop is intended to gather together academics, researchers, practitioners and policy makers working both in the environmental and trade fields.
Within this project FEEM will organise and host a two-days workshop under the title "Trade and the Environment in the Perspective of the EU Enlargement". This workshop is aimed at stimulating the debate on the use of economic instruments in implementing environmental and trade policies in the EU and in Central Eastern European Countries (hereinafter CEECs), with a particular focus on their future accession.
The workshop is intended to gather together academics, researchers, practitioners and policy makers working both in the environmental and trade fields.
The first part of the workshop will be devoted to analyse the impacts of trade taking into consideration different characteristics of the environmental goods and bads involved (renewable and non-renewable resources, on the one side, flow and stock polluting emissions, on the other side) as well as the main determinants and patterns of trade (considering the different degrees of competitiveness of markets and industries, the increasing role of eco-industries, the role of eco-labelling, etc.).
The second part of the workshop will address the issue of the effects of the environmental policy on trade flows and patterns. The vast literature on environmental policy has identified two main approaches: the command-and-control approach which includes standards and quotas and the market-based approach, e. g. economic instruments such as emission permits, incentives and taxes. A specific session will deal with the effectiveness of measures taken in the framework of climate change, such as the implementation of flexible mechanisms (Joint implementation, in particular) introduced by the Kyoto Protocol as these affect foreign direct investments flows and patterns and subsequently technology transfer within the enlarged EU.
A round table will be organised as a final part of the workshop, where policy makers of European and international organisations and representatives of the business sector, as well as from consumer and environmental associations and NGOs will highlight some conclusive remarks. The workshop is to be held in Milano in May 2001.