Environmental Policy-Making
- Authors:
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Publication Date:
June 1997 -
Report Number:
R-1183-97-CR
Over the past 25 years, Europe and the United States have introduced extensive
legislation aimed at protecting the environment. Now both regions realize they need a new approach to environmental control, so decision makers on both sides of the Atlantic are considering analytical tools such as risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis in environmental policy making. This report explores the need for risk assessment (a hotly debated area), risk prioritization, and cost-benefit analysis in reforming existing environmental laws and formulating new ones. A case study on Europe’s Auto-Oil Programme provides contrasting views about the effectiveness of the tools.