[en] The current unbundling of operations in accounts has proved inadequate. No formula or model that could be made binding by provisions have been defined for unbundled accounts. In addition, unbundling can draw a distinct line between commercial activities and network operations, which have assumed various authoritative functions. Against this background, the need for clearer unbundling has become more marked. The working group suggests that the current provisions on unbundling of trade operations should be tightened and that the unbundling should be made clearer especially in terms of allocation of joint costs. For this, the necessary preparations by the authorities should be initiated urgently. At the same time, the working group proposes that network operations should be unbundled from other operations by incorporation or by unbundling them into a separate public utility. The smallest electric utilities should be exempted from the obligation of incorporating network operations. According to the working group, the lower limit could be fixed e.g. at 70 GWh a year. The working group also suggests that the licensees must own the electricity networks they operate. The licensees could not rent their networks from the mother company nor lease them from a financing company. The model proposed by the working group would redress the major problems connected with the supervision of the electricity market. The monopoly, i.e. the electricity network operations, under the supervision of the Electricity Market Authority could thus be unbundled. This would improve the functioning of the market and facilitate the supervision. However, the model would not abolish the tax concession of municipal public utilities in competitive trade operations, production and sale of electricity. The tax concession may affect the competitive situation on the electricity market. (orig.)

[en] The objective of this study is to examine procedures the enterprises follow when they have to make provisions for future costs in the clean up of contaminated land. It is not especially easy for an enterprise to make a provision for clean up of contaminated land in its financial statement. Because of research and planning activities and authority procedures the purification measures may be implemented after a long time. In the Study, an up-to-date subject has been dealt with: how to recognize liabilities to clean up contaminated land and how to evaluate and deal with them in the annual accounts. Environmental provisions has been examined by enterprise interviews and with other material. It is probable that the future clean up costs of contaminated land will rise up to several bit/ions of Finnish marks. The enterprises have not vet, however, included these expenditures into their annual accounts. One of the reasons for this is that the guidelines concerning recognition, measurement and disclosure of environmental liabilities in the financial statements are under development. Thus, it would be very important to promote the enterprises' and authorities' awareness of their environmental response. This can be done by research and training, and by publishing written guidelines. (orig.)

[en] The interview with the prof. J. Niewodniczanski, the President of the National Atomic Agency in Poland has been published. The arguments for and against building of nuclear energetics in Poland have been performed and an official opinion of Governmental Authorities has been presented in that matter

[en] Local government in the Netherlands could play a greater role than they currently do in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the country. This fact formed the motivation for initiating the research project on Local Government and Climate Policy. Many local climate options are known in theory. Options for reduction that lie within the sphere of influence of Dutch local government are, for example, sustainable building or encouraging the utilisation of sustainable energy. But actual practice turns out to be rather refractory. If such options are to be implemented, then one has to overcome institutional barriers, such as the co-operation between different departments in the same local authority. The objective of this research is to improve the contribution that local government makes to climate policy

[en] Two important transformations of the past century are described: industrialisation and urbanisation. These transformations will continue in the new century and create policy challenges because the use of land, materials and energy will increasingly meet natural limits or be constrained by intergenerational equity arguments. New local and international institutional arrangements will be required to meet these challenges. Increased public participation and involvement of private companies will be needed in order to balance the different perspectives on sustainable development. The UN can show leadership because of the global character of many environmental problems and the growing need for environmental and social minimum requirements in the global liberalised market. 17 refs

[en] The Cogema group hopes to find a second business, being awaiting the nuclear area starts again. It needs eighteen months to find it. It must have an empathy with its first business and does not be in competition with its customers. (N.C.)

[en] According to the Professor Pfaffenberger, the abandoning of nuclear energy, that would cost a lot to the country (Switzerland), would reduce in proportion the investments possibilities in renewable energies. (N.C.)

[en] The purpose of this article is to present an analysis of interfuel substitution in the industrial sector of seven major OECD countries (the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy) over the 1960-1993 period. Translog models are used to provide estimates of price elasticities from annual data for each country. Results outline the weakness of price elasticities and changes in behaviour over the last 35 years and show evidence of asymmetric effects. Since the collapse of oil prices in 1986, substitution has stopped, industrial energy demand and oil consumption have stagnated. Interfuel substitution is widely induced by events other than relative price changes: energy policy, political and institutional constraints, changes in economic activity, characteristics within individual country sectors. (author)

[en] This paper analyses progress and obstacles to gas sector reform in the most important CIS-Countries (Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan), taking a political economy perspective. This reform process is embedded in a very specific post-Soviet institutional framework stemming from the legacy of socialism. Firstly, we review the evolution of the gas sector for the period 1992-1998. The paper then identifies the post-Soviet specifies of gas sector restructuring, to which any reform strategy and technical assistance have to he adapted. We derive concrete, process-oriented policy conclusions to accelerate the reform process in a market-oriented way. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the perspectives of gas sector restructuring in this geopolitically strategic area of the world. (author)

[en] The article discusses the effects of emission of greenhouse gases on the climate and gives some advise regarding environmental policy adaptations. Some views on the implementation of environmental measures are presented