Vortrag von Frieda Ottmann (München): Still Waters Run Deep: European Water Pollution Policies and Various Streams of Integration, 1970–2000

Zweite Veranstaltung des Berlin-Brandenburger Colloquiums für Umweltgeschichte (BBC) im Sommersemester 2026, das zu drei Terminen im Mai und Juni einlädt.

Veranstalter: Leibniz-Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam

Montag, 01. Juni 2026 | 18-20 Uhr

Zum Vortrag
Frieda Ottmann (München): Still Waters Run Deep: European Water Pollution Policies and Various Streams of Integration, 1970–2000 (In English)

The presentation will summarise the findings of the recently completed PhD thesis. The thesis analyses the emergence and development of the new environmental policy field and its reciprocal impact on European integration. The evolution of water pollution policy, in particular, reflects key themes in the history of the EC/EU, such as market integration and the competition between institutions, with member states, as well as other international organisations for regulatory power. At the same time, the EC framework both enabled and constrained the development of a common water policy. In turn, water regulation served as a laboratory for shaping institutional dynamics on the European continent. Through water negotiations, the EC gained a dominant position among other European organisations. EC/EU institutions defined their internal standing, and member states shaped their relations with third states, including Central and Eastern European countries. The lens of water policy, thereby, provides a new perspective on the ripple effects of European integration and their reflection in specific policy areas. The presentation will focus more deeply on a specific chapter that discusses the role of societal actors in European environmental policymaking.

Short Bio:
Frieda Ottmann recently submitted her PhD thesis, which was part of the DFG-ANR-funded research project ELEMENT, a cooperation between the LMU Munich and Sorbonne University led by Prof. Dr Kiran Klaus Patel and Prof. Dr Laurent Warlouzet. Her research explores the history of environmental regulation within the EC/EU, specifically focusing on the evolution of water pollution policies. Her work examines the contested nature of European environmental governance, highlighting the friction between institutional objectives, industrial interests, and environmental interest groups.

Recent publication: Ottmann, Frieda: Navigating Europe’s Waters: The Struggle of Greenpeace and the TiO2 Industry to Chart Strategic Courses for Shaping Water Policy, Journal of European Integration History 32:1 (2026): 35-53.