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25 - Coordinating European nitrogen policies between international conventions and intergovernmental organizations

from Part V - European nitrogen policies and future challenges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2011

By
Keith Bull ,
Robert Hoft  and
Mark A. Sutton
Edited by
Mark A. Sutton ,
Clare M. Howard ,
Jan Willem Erisman ,
Gilles Billen ,
Albert Bleeker ,
Peringe Grennfelt ,
Hans van Grinsven  and
Bruna Grizzetti
Keith Bull
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Lancaster Environment Centre
Robert Hoft
Affiliation:
Convention on Biological Diversity
Mark A. Sutton
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Mark A. Sutton
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Clare M. Howard
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Jan Willem Erisman
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Gilles Billen
Affiliation:
CNRS and University of Paris VI
Albert Bleeker
Affiliation:
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Peringe Grennfelt
Affiliation:
Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL)
Hans van Grinsven
Affiliation:
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Bruna Grizzetti
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
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Summary

Executive summary

Nature of the problem

  • International treaties, such as multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), have sought to protect the environment by intergovernmental action on many issues.

  • The MEAs and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have, between them, targeted most known environmental problems, but none has tackled nitrogen management holistically since the nitrogen issue is much broader than any of the individual interests.

  • Even so, several conventions have taken action to develop nitrogen policies in their specific areas of interest, but they are often limited in their options to increase their scope of action beyond their agreed mandates and may be reluctant to coordinate action with those of others.

  • As a result, there remains a need to develop an integrated, holistic approach for nitrogen management; an international treaty targeted explicitly on nitrogen would have the potential to bring the different elements of the nitrogen problem together.

Approaches

  • Some coordination between MEAs and IGOs already occurs with regard to different nitrogen threats, but the focus is inevitably on areas of overlapping interests. This chapter explores the potential for available mechanisms to be applied further across these institutions to harmonize work and to promote effective coordination on nitrogen-related threats and abatement options.

Type
Chapter
Information
The European Nitrogen Assessment
Sources, Effects and Policy Perspectives
 , pp. 570 - 584
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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