For over 25 years, Germany has been pursuing a modern environmental policy with some unique institutional and legal features. Compared internationally, it can be credited with some notable successes, although these have come at great financial and bureaucratic cost. During the 1990s, as a consequence of the serious deterioration in the economic situation, pressure on environmental policy from the business sector has been growing: demands include deregulation, privatisation and that Germany no longer 'goes it alone'. Environmental organisations and independent experts fear that the present government is doing too much to accommodate these critics, and that environmental capacity generated to date is thereby being harmed, in particular through the removal of participation and intervention opportunities for individuals and environmental organisations, as well as through cuts in funding for environmental bodies and research. On the other hand, as the 'technocratic approach' (curative & end-of-pipe measures) ever more clearly reaches the limits of its effectiveness and now that a broad consensus on the importance of working towards sustainable development has been reached, the volume and complexity of the work facing environmental policy have greatly increased. What is therefore required is increased environmental policy. This is the tense situation in which German environmental policy finds itself today. The coming years will show whether, as the writer believes, this is nothing more than a marked but temporary slowing-down of the environmental policy dynamic, or a serious reversal, as is the opinion of some of the experts who were asked to comment on German environmental policy, and whose commentaries are printed here. This discussion paper starts with a brief sketch of the development of German environmental policy. There then follows a description of some of its deficits, on the basis of commentaries (analysis and criticism) by environmental experts from 14 countries, including Germany. In particular, as a result of the numerous critical observations on the performance of German environmental policy, the authors earlier assertion as to its leading position in the international field is considerably qualified. Afterwards, the author brings out some general aspects which play a part in the environmental policy of many countries, and which are made clear by the commentaries. In conclusion come the expert commentaries themselves. In many cases, the reader will gain thereby a deeper insight into the central problem areas in the environmental politics of the various countries. In the appendix can be found brief information on the position, main research ares and current environmental publications of the experts. (Author's abstract)