European Environment · 1996 · 10 citations · 2 references
Social SciencesEnvironmental ManagementEnvironmental PolicyEnvironmental EconomicsSustainable DevelopmentSustainable InnovationEnvironmental SustainabilityEuropean Environmental PolicyProduct DevelopmentProduct Life Cycle ManagementProduct StrategySustainable ProductionBarriersEnvironmental Product PolicyProduct Policy InstrumentsSustainable Product Development ProcessSustainable Product Lifecycle ManagementSustainable Production Policy
The emergence and role of product-related environmental policy in Europe is discussed. The nucleus of this new approach is its integrated character, which tries to cover all the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of a product. As a consequence, various objectives and a wide range of actors and instruments are being encountered. However, the degree of development of a sustainable product policy varies greatly across European countries: leaders and laggards can be identified. In practice, the successful application of product policy instruments faces substantial information and technical barriers in all countries. Based on previous experiences and recent discussions, a ‘broadening’ and ‘deepening’ of product policy can be expected in the near future.
2