3. Integrating research findings into legislative development

3.1 Examples of research areas

One line of research deals with the behavior of pollutants in the environment, using different approaches. For example, some projects consider interactions between different environmental "interfaces" (e.g. links between groundwater and surface ecosystems), while others study pollutant sources, focusing on risk analysis (models, measurement protocols, assessment strategies) or decontamination, and the development of tools needed by decision-makers. Research is also developing new management options and information tools.

The current trend is towards integrative projects, involving different disciplines and consortia made up not only of scientists, but also of "research users and translators", technology providers, etc. Examples...