Global Issues & External Action

Environmental problems first appeared on the global political agenda as ad hoc issues such as the impact of DDT on bird’s eggs or the impact of environmental degradation on single species such as pandas and whales. They were tackled by issue-specific policy responses such as the CITES Convention (1975).

Recognition of the relationship between different environmental challenges evoked policy responses on common environmental issues, such as the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Over the following 20 years, it was increasingly recognised that environment and economic development were closely linked, with the 1992 Rio environmental summit labelled ‘The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development’. It became increasingly clear that there was a need for economic development to become more sustainable.

As a result, the 2002 conference on the environment was called the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). These and other multilateral processes led to the adoption of a number of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). MEAs are the main method available under international law for countries to work together on global environmental issues.

Despite the fact that the implementation of Rio and WSSD agreements fell short of initial expectations, these processes receive increasing attention and recognition worldwide. The EU has played an increasingly active role in multilateral environmental negotiations since the 1990s, routinely trying to present itself as a global environmental leader.

However, the EU has also demonstrated weaknesses in the context of certain environmental negotiations; for instance its aspirations were dealt a blow at the December 2009 Copenhagen climate negotiations.

IEEP’s work is focusing increasingly on multilateral environmental policies and MEAs in particular.

Our work in this area includes:

Inventory and analysis of (compliance with) obligations and commitments of the Flemish Region under four MEAs: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its Biosafety Protocol; the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), together with its most recent Protocols; the Montreal Protocol on ozone depleting substances and the Basel Convention on the transboundary movement of hazardous waste.

Regarding work in this area please contact:

Marc Pallemaerts
Kristof Geeraerts