So-called virtual water, the water embedded in internationally traded goods, has come under discussion. The amount of quantitative studies which attempt to estimate volumes and flows of virtual water in relation to agricultural trade is rising rapidly, while the concept has been recognized by...

In virtually all EU Member States, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is complemented by support schemes for electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES-E). This policy mix has been subject to strong criticism. It is mainly argued that RES-E schemes contribute nothing to...

Affordability of water services is a pressing water policy issue for both the developed and in particular the developing world. Despite its well-known theoretical shortcomings affordability analysis for water supply is up to now widely based on the ratio of a household's water expenditure and...

In this paper, we employ a public choice perspective to analyze the development of policies for renewable energy sources (RES) in the EU in general and in Germany more specifically. In doing so, we explain the main characteristics of current RES policies in the EU by reference to the...

The literature on policy convergence has identified numerous aspects and possible causal drivers of convergence. We classify and condense these into a comprehensive framework, which is operationalized for support policies for renewable energy sources in the EU. Our analysis advances the...

[Gliederung] 1. Problemstellung 2. Begriff der Umwelt- und Ressourcenkosten 3. Stellung der Umwelt- und Ressourcenkosten in der Normarchitektur des Art. 9 a) Problemstellung b) Interpretationen der Normarchitektur c) "Effiziente Ressourcennutzung" als Schlüsselbegriff d) Relevante und...

It is often argued that Germany's energy transition (the so-called Energiewende) needs to be Europeanized, so as to make the transition process more efficient. In particular, the German system of feed-in tariffs for renewables is criticized for being an obstacle to efficient European energy...

Art. 9 der europäischen Wasserrahmenrichtlinie (WRRL) statuiert den von den Mitgliedstaaten zu berücksichtigenden Grundsatz der Kostendeckung für Wasserdienstleistungen. Angesichts der allgemein als schwierig eingeschätzten Auslegung des genauen materiellen Gehalts der verschiedenen...

Im Rahmen der Novellierung des EEG sehen sich Ausmaß und Reichweite der Begünstigungen im Rahmen der sog. Besonderen Ausgleichsregelung (BesAR) des EEG schwerwiegender Kritik ausgesetzt und sind zugleich Gegenstand beihilferechtlicher Überprüfung. Nachfolgend werden die...