TY - JOUR
T1 - Who should do what in environmental management? Twelve principles for allocating responsibilities
AU - Mostert, Erik
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - In environmental management there is often discussion on the allocation of responsibilities. Such discussions can continue for a long time and can form an obstacle for effective action. In this article twelve normative principles for the allocation of responsibilities are identified, coming from three different sources: the arguments used in discussions on responsibilities, Dutch and European law, and the environmental management literature. The principles are (1) capacity, (2) lowest social costs, (3) causation, (4) interest, (5) scale, (6) subsidiarity, (7) structural integration, (8) separation, (9) solidarity, (10) transparency, (11) stability (but not standstill), and (12) acquired rights. These principles point to fundamental tensions in environmental management and sometimes conflict with each other. At the same time they may help to resolve conflicts by providing common points of reference that are independent from the often conflicting interests of the discussants.
AB - In environmental management there is often discussion on the allocation of responsibilities. Such discussions can continue for a long time and can form an obstacle for effective action. In this article twelve normative principles for the allocation of responsibilities are identified, coming from three different sources: the arguments used in discussions on responsibilities, Dutch and European law, and the environmental management literature. The principles are (1) capacity, (2) lowest social costs, (3) causation, (4) interest, (5) scale, (6) subsidiarity, (7) structural integration, (8) separation, (9) solidarity, (10) transparency, (11) stability (but not standstill), and (12) acquired rights. These principles point to fundamental tensions in environmental management and sometimes conflict with each other. At the same time they may help to resolve conflicts by providing common points of reference that are independent from the often conflicting interests of the discussants.
KW - Decentralization
KW - Institutions
KW - Integration
KW - Polycentric governance
KW - The Netherlands
KW - Water
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84919712425&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2014.10.008
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2014.10.008
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84919712425
SN - 1462-9011
VL - 45
SP - 123
EP - 131
JO - Environmental Science and Policy
JF - Environmental Science and Policy
ER -