But, as the recent Commission communication on the topic indicates, the implementation gap persist. The aim of this workshop is to examine the nature of the implementation problem and begin an assessment of recent initiatives to deal with it. Workshop participants will include WGES members, outside academics as well as practitioners. A detailed programme will be available in February. These activities are all based on the assumption that regulation in its current form hinders industrial competitiveness.
Deregulation is also the basis of trade liberalisation initiatives.
The spring workshop looked at two separate, but related facets of deregulation. First, it examined the environmental implications of economic deregulation through case studies of the energy, transport, and the water sectors, as well as a look at trade liberalisation. Secondly, several papers dealt with options for deregulation in environmental policy, looking at self-regulation, negotiated agreements and environmental management systems. A number of more general issues were also addressed, such as the links between deregulation, environmental protection and competitiveness, the role of environmental agencies and the importance of greater transparency and better availability of environmental information. The workshop also attracted a number of other outside participants and lively discussions followed the presentations.