ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews regulatory legislation adopted by the European Economic Community (EEC) concerning natural resource development, conservation, and use when two or more EEC member states share the resources. The Council of the European Communities has been considering a draft Directive which mandates the performance of an environmental impact assessment for designated classes of projects, and provides the outlines of the assessment process for all member states of the community. A Council Directive on groundwater pollution protection provides what probably amounts to the most articulate set of rules found in any EEC Directive with specific regard to shared natural resources stricto sensu. An awareness of the peculiar needs of sharing natural resources or sharing environments can be detected in the EEC lawmaking activity in the protection and conservation of the environment and of natural resources.
