Ludwig Krämer

Professor Doctor Ludwig Krämer (1939 - ) is an important legal figure in the development of environmental law at national, regional and international levels and in particular in the European Community. He is the author of over 150 articles on environmental law, principally concerned with European Community environmental law.

Education

Ludwig Krämer was educated at the University of Kiel and München, where he studied law and history (1960 - 1964). He was an official trainee in Germany and France (1964 - 1968) and sat for the State examination in law in 1968 in Hamburg, Germany. He holds a PhD in EC consumer law, from the University of Hamburg.

Professional career

His career commenced as a research associate for Kiel University in 1968. From 1969 until his retirement from the position in 2004, Dr Krämer was a Judge with Landgericht, Kiel.

Ludwig Krämer was in the employment of the European Commission from 1972 - 2004. In 1972, he joined as an official with the Commission in the Competition Directorate-General (D-G). In this role he dealt principally with consumer protection issues.

Ludwig Krämer was to start his important influence over environmental policies and legislation in the EC when he moved into the Directorate-General for the Environment (European Commission) (D-G Environment) in 1984. Between 1987 and 1994, Ludwig Krämer was head of the Legal Unit. His next position was as head of the Waste Management Unit. Ludwig Krämer was extremely influential in directing European environmental law and policy, given his breadth of knowledge and fluency in approximately 8 official European languages, many of which he was able to draft legislation in.

Head of Environmental Governance, D-G Environment

In 2001, Ludwig Krämer was made head of the unit on Environmental Governance in D-G Environment. In this capacity, he was a superb advocate for the environment, championing the need for transparency, accountability and public participation in the field of environmental protection.

He retired from this position in August 2004, to pursue an active academic career. At the time of his retirement, a group of friends and colleagues assembled [http://www.europalawpublishing.com/environmental_law/23x.htm a book of essays] in honour of Ludwig Krämer, in recognition of his profound contributions to the field of environmental protection.

Prolific Author

During the time spent at the Commission, in addition to his daily duties, Ludwig Krämer was successful in devoting intensive time to write copiously and to teach in the field of environmental law. His writings and teachings are a lasting legacy. He has authored around 20 books and handbooks and approximately 150 articles on EC environmental law. He is recognised as a leading authority in the field and his wisdom has influenced the thinking of many environmental lawyers and law students. His passion for the environment has spurred many young people into working for environmental protection.

Academia's Gain

As at 2006, Ludwig Krämer is a Professor in European and German environmental law at the University of Bremen. He is a Visiting Professor at University College London. He also lectures at College of Europe, Bruges in Belgium. He also teaches at a number of other universities, including those located in Copenhagen, Ghent, Pécs, Stockholm, Seville, London and Montreal. He continues to provide students from many different universities, officials and other stakeholders with the benefit of his vast environmental law and policy expertise through lectures and presentations.

An extremely dedicated and passionate person, Ludwig Krämer holds very strong views on the importance of protecting our environment. He is also extremely vocal about the need to check the tendencies of bureaucracy to act territorially about its management of the environment, from keeping environmental information to itself to not effecting implementation of legislative obligations with respect to environmental protection. He has little patience for the ineffectiveness of many soft law approaches to environmental protection.

In addition, Ludwig Krämer is a dedicated humanitarian who thinks deeply about the human condition and humanity's proclivity for not taking responsibility for this world and its inhabitants, both human and non-human.

Famous Quotes

Ludwig Krämer is recognised for some oft-repeated quotes:

"The environment is an interest without a voice"
"The administration thinks the environment is its property. It is not. It is everybody's property."
"Nature dies away in silence ... nature does not have a voice."

External links

* [http://www.tvlink.org/vnr.cfm?vidID=81 Aarhus or Co-Ownership of the Environment] . A documentary which also features Dr Krämer in an interview when he was Head of Environmental Governance in D-G Environment