| Parameters |
Tools / Mechanisms |
Examples |
| Should chemical(s) be regulated/monitored? |
 | Compliance / Liability |
|
| Regulation
| Regulations setting out role and responsibilities of municipalities, together with
provisions for resources, enforcement and liability in cases of negligence |
|
|
|
| Pressure from Local Community, NGOs, Citizens |
|
| Widening involvement
| Participatory/discursive forums |
|
| Regulation
| Legal rights i.e. granting ‘standing’ to citizens, NGOs to bring court action |
| Freedom of Information |
| Pollution Registers |
|
|
|
| Potential ecological and health damage |
|
| R&D
| Scientific knowledge/research into chemical, health and environmental effects |
|
| Regulation/Policy
| Precautionary Principle |
|
|
Risk Assessments of chemicals (especially persistent, bioaccumulative,
high volume) by industry and/or government |
| Company co-operation, track record and behaviour |
|
| Corporate Policy
| Effective EMS with compliance as a minimum plus more ambitious targets |
| In-house monitoring |
| Verified environmental reporting |
|
| Monitoring and enforcement
| records of company environmental performance |
|
|
EC EMAS scheme |
| How should chemical(s) be regulated/monitored? |
| Availability and effectiveness of alternatives to traditional regulation procedure |
|
| Tools to encourage company co-operation/action - see previous |
| R&D
| R&D into alternative methods |
|
| Advice
| Work on prevention not cure via raising awareness of regulations amongst SMEs, offering
advice/ guidance/ information / workshops |
|
| Regulation
| Mandatory reporting on certain aspects e.g. for pollution register |
| Report procedures for citizens and NGOs |
| Legal standing of citizens and NGOs |
|
|
Research into conditions for success of voluntary agreements
Environment Agency in GB moving towards facilitation approach |
| Effectiveness and efficiency of existing tools |
|
| Regulation
| Discharge, emission, abstraction consents |
| Fines (level determines deterrent effect but due consideration needed for SMEs) |
|
| Monitoring and Enforcement |
|
|
| Resources |
|
| Regulation
| Recycling/hypothecation of funds from successful court cases. |
|
|
GB regulation enables funds from certain fines to be allocated to the
Environment Agency for enforcement activities |
| Technology |
|
| R&D into ‘intelligent’ monitoring equipment e.g. automatic/non-staffed,
tamper proof, cost-effective |
|
|