Product Policy in Europe: New Environmental Perspectives

Product Policy in Europe: New Environmental Perspectives presents an overview and assessment of a relatively new area of environmental policy in Europe. Whereas the more `traditional' environment policy mainly deals with individual emissions, waste and substances, product policy is a more comprehensive approach addressing the environmental impacts of products during their whole life cycle. The study reviews the current state of affairs and the prospects for product policy in the EU and Switzerland. It shows the relationship with other areas of environmental policy and the potential role of new instruments and approaches. Four case studies (on paint, batteries, public procurement and eco-labelling) illustrate the barriers and opportunities of product policy.
Environmental policy makers and policy analysts will find useful information and recommendations in this book. It is also written for those who have a professional interest in reducing the environmental impact of products, including marketing managers, product developers, procurement officers and staff members of environmental and consumer organisations, standardisation and certification institutions, etc.

Executive Summary.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Conceptual Framework and Theoretical Background of Product Policy.- 3 The Product Policy Quadrangle.- 4 Product Policy in Practice: Four Case Studies.- 5 Assessment, Applicability and Improvability of Product Policy.- 6 Product Policy in Europe: Experiences, Trends and International Trade Aspects.- 7 Product Management: Trends and Prospects.- 8 Conclusions and Recommendations.- 1 Introduction.- 1.1 The Need for a Product-Oriented Approach in Environmental Policy.- 1.2 Objectives and Scope of this Study.- 1.3 Outline of this Book.- 2 Conceptual Framework and Theoretical Background of Product Policy.- 2.1 The Relationship between Ecosphere and Technosphere.- 2.2 Internalizing the External Costs of Products.- 2.3 History of the Development of Product Policy.- 2.4 Product Policy in Relation to Other Approaches of Environmental Policy.- 2.5 Characteristics of Product Policy.- 2.6 Relationship between Policy Making and Actors.- 2.7 Conclusions.- 3 The Product Policy Quadrangle.- 3.1 Objectives.- 3.2 Instruments.- 3.3 Actors.- 3.4 Products.- 3.5 Interrelationship Between the Four Corners of the Product Policy Quadrangle.- 4 Product Policy in Practice: Four Case Studies.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Paints.- 4.3 Batteries.- 4.4 Public Procurement.- 4.5 Eco-labelling.- 5 Assessment, Applicability and Improvability of Product Policy.- 5.1 Policy Objectives: Attitudes, Appropriateness and Interrelationship.- 5.2 The Assessment of Product Policy Instruments.- 5.3 The Application of Product Policy Instruments.- 6 Product Policy in Europe: Experiences, Trends and International Trade Aspects.- 6.1 Experiences in European Union Member States.- 6.2 Trends Within European Product Policy.- 6.3 Product Policy and International Trade.- 7 Product Management:Trends and Prospects.- 7.1 From Product Policy to Product Management: New Trends.- 7.2 The Actors and Their New Roles.- 7.3 Co-operative Behaviour Among Product Managers.- 7.4 New Forms of Production and Consumption.- 8 Conclusion and Recommendation.- 8.1 Conclusions.- 8.2 Policy Recommendations.- 8.3 Research Recommendations.- References.- Abbreviations.