Introduction

Europe, being one of the world's most industrialized regions with a high level of population density, is confronted with a constantly increasing degradation of its natural environment. Since the breakdown of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe it has become obvious that the extent of environmental degradation in the region had been highly underestimated. Environmental awareness has been growing, especially in Western Europe, and has become an increasingly important political factor. Interaction between economic production, social consumption, and complex ecosystems has become a major issue on the international agenda because of its transboundary character. The depletion of the ozone layer, the warming up of the atmosphere by greenhouse gases, and the rapid loss of biological diversity do not respect national boundaries or welfare societies: these are global threats that cannot be overcome by any single nation. There is good reason to believe that better results could be achieved, if nations tried to cooperate first at the regional level.