ENVIRONMENTAL APPRAISAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL-POLICY IN THE EUROPEAN-UNION

Revisions to the European Treaty of Union require some form of environ mental appraisal - primarily risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis - of regulatory initiatives by the European Commission. A retrospecti ve look at the emergence of environmental appraisal also shows that, w hile the Commission has made great advances in introducing cost-benefi t or cost-effectiveness appraisals in recent years, past environmental decisions and overall environmental policy have not been informed by systematic appraisal techniques. Nor is it clear what role is now bein g played by risk assessments. While it is impossible to gauge the exte nt to which systematic appraisal procedures will save on regulatory an d compliance expenditures, some indications are provided of the costs of past neglect of these procedures.