Evaluating impact on environmentally friendly goods' prices
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Scope
Does the option make environmentally un/friendly goods and services cheaper or more expensive through changes in taxation, certification, product/design rules, procurement rules etc.?[1]
Definition
The European Commission has adopted a wide range of regulatory measures to improve environmental performance of industry and enhance technology development: The IPPC-Directive (Integrated Product Policy Control, Council Directive 96/61/EC) for example, addresses industrial installations with a high pollution potential. Installations are only allowed to be operated if the operator holds a permit containing requirements for the protection of air, water and soil, waste minimisation, accident prevention and, if necessary, site clean-up. These requirements have to be continuously updated according to the principle of best available techniques (BAT). The Environmental Managament Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool to help companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve environmental performance. So far, a few thousand organisations from Member States and Norway have already acquired an Audit. The European Ecolabel is another voluntary scheme. Businesses are encouraged to mark products and services that are kinder to the environment, than the usual products and the label shall help consumers identify them.[1]
The IPP-approach (COM (2003)302 final) on the other hand, seeks to minimise the causes of environmental degradation from products and production processes by looking at all phases of a product's life-cycle and taking action where it is most effective within each part of the life-cycle. This implies also the analysis in how far greener products and services can contribute to better integrated product approaches. Green Public Procurement is crucial in this regard since it is related to an annual spent sum that is equivalent to 16% of EU GDP every year. So far, the European Commission has promoted the circulation of information tools and best-practice. Another step towards the Greening of Products is the Greening of Standards: the Commission has recently released a Communication on the integration of environmental aspects into European Standardisation (COM (2004)130 final).
Another major step is the implementation of the European Emission Trading Scheme for the implementation of the EU Kyoto obligation and Member States have also reached basis agreement on a framework for an European energy taxation.[1]
Result
Indicators:
There are no Eurostat Structural Indicators directly related to this key question.
The following Eurostat Sustainable Development Indicators are relevant to address the key question:
The following indicators are related:
Additional Links:
- OECD/EEA database on instruments used for environmental policy and natural resources management (Database on environmentally related taxes and other economic instruments and voluntary approaches)[1]
See also
References
This text is for information only and is not designed to interpret or replace any reference documents.