Suchergebnisse

Over the last twenty years social opposition to mineral excavation has increased to such an extent in the densely populated Netherlands, that it is getting extremely difficult to discover new sites for quarrying coarse sand for concrete. While the Dutch government has attempted for many years to shape more effective legislation covering mineral excavation, The Netherlands is importing ever growing quantities of building materials from abroad, especially from Germany and Belgium and from Scotland and Norway. It seems almost certain that in the future some restraints will be imposed on the import of minerals (unconsolidated deposits) from populous areas in Germany and Belgium along the Rhine and the Meuse to the Netherlands. Meanwhile it is extremely difficult for the provinces of The Netherlands to come to an agreement over the location of new extracting sites. The theoretical model is inadequate and requires practical improvement. The directives based on this model, therefore, must be broadened to include larger contextual aspects.

There appears to be considerable enthusiasm about the expected macroeconomic consequences of European integration. If we regard integration, however, in the light of the environment and environmental policy, concern seems more appropriate. Predicted growth in production levels will damage the environment even further while the prospects of a, necessary, policy to prevent waste flows and emissions do not appear to have grown. At the same time a certain optimism seems justified because greater European co-operation could lead to an integrated environmental policy to limit transboundary pollution. In view, however, of the prevalence of economic interests and the weak democratic basis of EC decision making, one must doubt whether the European Community has anything to offer along these lines