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The Progression towards Ecological Quality Standards

Howarth, William (2006) The Progression towards Ecological Quality Standards. Journal of Environmental Law, 18 (1). pp. 3-35. ISSN 0952-8873. (doi:10.1093/jel/eqi049) (KAR id:176)

Abstract

Environmental law still lacks coherence in many respects. Two key areas of UK and EC law—water pollution control and biodiversity protection—are examined to see whether it is possible to adopt more common approaches. A key development in pollution control law was its redirection in the last twenty years from a largely reactive instrument towards one embedded in the realisation of environmental quality objectives through precisely stated quality standards. On closer inspection, many of these standards, though, are anthropocentric in origin. The approach of using the law purposively to achieve defined objectives is much better developed in pollution legislation as compared to the law on biodiversity protection. The latter area now needs to see a similar development in ecological quality standards, while recognising that their formulation is a significantly different exercise from that of establishing environmental quality standards. The use of ecological quality standards in the Water Framework Directive is commendable, but there remain substantial reservations about the criteria adopted and the underlying basis for ecological valuation.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1093/jel/eqi049
Subjects: K Law
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > Kent Law School
Depositing User: Katrin Steinack
Date Deposited: 19 Dec 2007 18:02 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:39 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/176 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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