Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
achievement and promoted prosperity. The official name was the European
Economic Community (EEC or later the EC), and the popular name was the
Common Market. A parallel agreement in 1957 established the European
Atomic Energy Commission (Euratom). At the time, most experts believed
that a bright future lay ahead for the atom as a cheap and clean source of
energy, not foreseeing the later environmental controversy.
The 1950s and 1960s were the era of the Economic Miracle, and few
people worried about the environment, but this changed. Dangerous
chemicals were an early concern for the EEC. Although the Treaty of
Rome gave no authority to regulate air or water, it could be interpreted
as covering chemicals in so far as guaranteeing a single market for these
goods. It developed procedures for testing, recording, tracking, and dis-
posing of hazardous materials, which promoted safety and protected the
natural environment. These served as model regulations for countries
such as the United States, for example.
The 1972 environmental summit in Stockholm brought attention to the
risks of air and water pollution and prompted the Commission to issue
its first Environment Action Program in 1973. This set forth a number
of principles that have been adopted worldwide: prevention is better
than remediation, prevention at the source, the polluter pays, integration
among air, water and groundwater, and precaution.
Expanding the EC proved controversial. Originally, the United Kingdom
chose not to participate because it would draw it away from its Empire, by
then referred to as the Commonwealth. However, in 1963, once Common
Market's success was apparent, the British applied to join, but the French
president, Charles de Gaulle, vetoed this, believing it would dilute his
country's power. Thus, the British were not admitted until 10 years later,
after passions had cooled and de Gaulle had retired, then died. Denmark
and Ireland joined at that time. Greece joined in 1981, Spain and Portugal
joined in 1986, and Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined in 1995. Thus,
the EC encompassed nearly all of Western Europe. Its members were all
economically prosperous, adhered to the rule of law, and shared common
democratic traditions.
The collapse of the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe in 1989
changed the situation dramatically, however. The Eastern countries
wanted the economic advantages of their Western neighbors. Having
been under Communism for 40 years or more, the European Union
(as it was now called) was leery of the East's lack of a free market and
its Communist legal system. Moreover, these countries had horrible air
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