ABSTRACT
Integrated product policy (IPP) is a relatively new and promising policy area within environmental policy. Some scientific research has been done and several countries have begun political activities in this area. Product-related environmental issues increasingly coined IPP, have emerged on three several complementary tracks. The relationship between IPP and sustainable development follows different paths in Europe. The most stringent and clear embedment of IPP is the Swiss approach. Several countries have prepared their own policy documents: for example, Denmark, Sweden and the European Union. Other countries did not follow this approach, but are nevertheless active IPP players. The responsibility for IPP is allocated to ministries and public environmental agencies. This means that these institutions have taken up this challenge within their structures. IPP also means integration. Integration is a challenge and its realisation in IPP has considerable shortcomings, both with regard to a coherence of policy areas, and with regard to instruments.
