EIRP Proceedings, Vol 1 (2006)

Abstract

Since 1973, the EU ecological policy has passed through several stages and, despite the numerous impediments hindering its development, it has recorded numerous acomplishments. As for the future, the focus is on integrating the ecological considerations into the political and economic priorities at a regional level. The Fifth Action Programme underlines an important upsurge in this respect, but there remain many barriers to cross. The main limitations in policy implementing are caused by the general shortage of financial resources and mostly by the lack of institutional capacity, and not by the problems that are specific to environmental protection and to the possible solutions.