The interdisciplinary team of lawyers and economists, headed by Prof. Dr. Dr. Juliane Kokott and consisting of Dr. Axel Klaphake, Dr. Simon Marr, Dr. Peter Beyer and Ute Beckert, recently finalized its study on international, European and national liability systems in relation to ecological damages, i.e. damages to water, soil and biodiversity. The study was commissioned by the German Federal Environmental Agency.

The overriding objective of this research project, called for in the Environmental Research Agenda of the German Federal Environmental Agency, is the analysis of existing liability regimes in the light of the further development of the European liability regime. Using an interdisciplinary research approach, both national liability regimes within and outside Europe and international regimes will be examined regarding the extent to which environmental damages can be compensated, the procedures and methods in existence for determining and calculating damage and compensation in theory and practice and the manner in which the compensation is carried out.

Kokott, Juliane; Axel Klaphake; Simon Marr et al. 2002: Ausgestaltung der Umwelthaftung in internationalen, europäischen und nationalen Haftungsregimen sowie Methoden der Schadensberechnung. [Gutachten im Auftrag des Umweltbundesamts entstanden im Rahmen des Forschungsvorhabens FKZ 201 18 101]. St. Gallen: Universität St. Gallen.