OECD/EEA Launch New Database on Economic Instruments Used in Environmental Policy

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Environment Agency have developed a database which will help governments choose a mix of economic instruments and voluntary approaches for environmental protection. These new tools play an increasingly important role in many countries, supplementing or replacing various types of regulatory instruments. The database is now freely available to policy makers, researchers and the public.

This new database was created in close collaboration between the OECD and the EEA. It contains information on the use of economic instruments such as environmentally related taxes and charges, environmentally motivated subsidies, tradable emission permits, and deposit refund systems. It also outlines voluntary policy approaches such as environmental agreements, negotiated with industry, and public programs in which firms can volunteer to participate.

Predefined queries allow the user to extract information on all economic or voluntary instruments used to address a certain type of environmental problem in one or more countries. Other queries provide more in-depth information on each type of instrument.

The database covers 43 countries*, including OECD member countries, EEA member countries, and a few countries co-operating with the EEA. The information will be updated on a regular basis.

For further information, journalists are invited to contact: Nils-Axel Braathen , OECD Environment directorate, at 331 45 24 76 97 or e-mail Nils-Axel.Braathen@oecd.org ; Hans Vos at the EEA, at 45 33 36 71 41 or e-mail Hans.Vos@eea.eu.int ; or Tony Carritt, EEA Media-Relations at 45 33 36 71 47 or e-mail Tony.Carritt@eea.eu.int

* Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FYR Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

Country Groupings: All countries, OECD members, EU members, EEA members.