Dimensions of Environmental Change

The political framework In a recent years the concept of Sustainable Development has rapidly diffused throughout the legislation of the European Union and has meanwhile been formally established as a basic component in all Community policies. In the Treaty of Rome, the founding document of the European Economic Community (1957), the goals of development were defined mainly in economic terms. In the Single European Act of 1986, the aim of environmental protection was introduced (article 130r). Five years later, the Maastricht Treaty (1991), in defining the objectives of the European Union (article B), called for promoting “economic and social progress which is balanced and sustainable”. The Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) required not only the promotion of a high level of protection but also improvements in the quality of the environment (Article 2). It requests that “Environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the definition and implementation of the community policies and activities... in particular with a view to promoting sustainable development ” (Article 6). After many years of different and often isolated efforts in direction of a stronger respect for the environment in community policies, this general requirement constitutes an important step. On this basis further progress has bee