Andreas Hermann LL.M.

Special Expertise

• Resources law and circular economy law (international, European and national),
• Legislation on chemicals and substances (international, European and national),
• Sustainable public procurement law (European and national).
• Instruments for the environmental control of (new) technologies (e.g. nanotechnologies, CCS, genetic engineering)

Methods

• Legal expertise
• Legal analysis
• Cross-sectional instrumental analysis and instrument development

Important Projects

Resource protection law and circular economy law

• Scientific support to the development of the National Circular Economy Strategy
• Steering of the stakeholder process and support in the development and implementation of a national circular economy strategy
• Investigation of economic instruments to reduce packaging consumption and to strengthen plastics recycling and the use of recycled materials
• Analysis and further development of the recycling quotas of the VerpackG (German Packaging Act) as a steering instrument for resource conservation
• Review of the effectiveness of article 21 VerpackG (Packaging Act) and development of proposals for further legal developments
• Examination of concrete measures to increase the demand for recycled plastics and plastic products containing recycled materials
• Determining the practice of sorting and recovery in accordance with article 21 German Packaging Act
• Producer responsibility of third-country producers in ecommerce
• Germany 2049 – On the path to sustainable raw materials management

Legislation on chemicals and substances

• Instruments and measures for nitrogen reduction
• NANOtechnology RIsk Governance (NANORIGO)
• Advancing REACH: Proposals for the updating and further development of the European Chemicals Regulation after 2018 and strategies for implementation
• Underestimation of the environmental risk by not considering parallel uses of biocidal products: Cumulative exposure and risk assessment of biocidal products
• Enhancement of the REACH requirements for (imported) articles – Options for improvement of the chemicals regulation
• Nanomaterials: Impacts on environment and health
• Legal analysis on the applicability of the substance definition on nanomaterials under REACH
• Examination and assessment of consequences for industry, consumers, human health and the environment of possible options for changing the REACH requirements for nanomaterials.

Sustainable public procurement law

• Development of methodological principles and working aids for climate protection and circular economy aspects in public procurement practice
• Biodiversity criteria in procurement II – Further development and practice-based substantiation of biodiversity criteria in selected product groups of public procurement on the part of the German federal government
• Adaptation and update of the administrative regulation 'Procurement and Environment – VwVBU'
• Drawing up a best practice guide and an event concept relating to 'Strategies to successfully introduce organic food in the catering of municipalities ('More organic food in municipalities')' ISSN 1862-4804

Important Publications

• Betz, J.; Hermann, A.; Bulach, W.; Hermann, C.; Bachmann, H.; Krüger, F. (2023): Strengthening demand for plastic recyclates. Mandatory quotas for more plastics recycling [Stärkung der Nachfrage nach Kunststoffrezyklaten. Verpflichtende Quoten für mehr Kunststoffrecycling]. In: Müll und Abfall Fachzeitschrift für Kreislauf- und Ressourcenwirtschaft, No. 1 2023, pp. 4-11.
• Amendment of the EMAS III Regulation - Development of German positions, https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/emas-in-der-oeffentlichen-beschaffung.
• Hermann, A.; Schomerus, T. (2020): Producer responsibility of third country producers in e-commerce [Produktverantwortung von Drittlandherstellern im Onlinehandel]. In: Müll und Abfall, 10/2020, pp. 504-509.
• Hermann, A, Legal opinion on green public procurement [Rechtsgutachten Umweltfreundliche öffentliche Beschaffung], UBA-Texte 30/2019, 2019, ISSN 1862-4804.
• Hermann, A. & Wiegmann, K. (2018): Reduce nitrogen surpluses! National strategy to protect the environment from ammonia [Stickstoffüberschüsse senken! Landesstrategie zum Schutz der Umwelt vor Ammoniak]. In: Einblicke 2018 - Journal zur Umweltforschung in Baden-Württemberg, S. 76, https://pudi.lubw.de/detailseite/-/publication/61279.
• Hermann, A.; Schulte, M.; Michalk, K. (2016): The implementation of justice concepts in air pollution control law - status and prospects [Die Umsetzung von Gerechtigkeitskonzepten im Luftreinhaltungs-recht – Stand und Perspektiven], Zeitschrift für Umweltpolitik & Umweltrecht, 2016, pp. 266-293.
• Hermann, A.; Heyen, D.; Kasten, P.; Heinitz, F.; Klinski, S.: Law and its application as a driver or barrier to social and ecologically relevant innovation – examining the case of mobility law (RechtSInnMobil) [Recht und Rechtsanwendung als Treiber oder Hemmnis gesellschaftlicher, ökologisch relevanter Innovationen – untersucht am Beispiel des Mobilitätsrechts (RechtSInnMobil)], 2019, https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/rechtliche-hemmnisse-innovationen-fuer-eine.
• Möller, M., Hermann, A.; Groß, R.; Diesner, M.O.; Küppers, P. et al.: Nanomaterials: Impacts on environment and health [Nanomaterialien: Auswirkungen auf Umwelt und Gesundheit]. In cooperation with Zukünftige Technologien Consulting der VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH, Prof. Zweck, A.; et al. Zürich: Vdf Hochschulverlag AG an der ETH Zürich, 2013. Download open access: ISBN 978-3-7281-3560-5 / DOI 10.3218/3560-5.

Professional Training and Career

• 2016-2017: Member of CEN TC 229 and OECD WPMN.
• 2003-2016: Member of the working group „European chemicals policy“ of the 5., 6. und 7. commission of the state government of Lower Saxony
• Since 2012 Senior researcher at Oeko-Institut
• 2002-2012: Deputy Head of the division ‚Environmental Law & Governance‘ of Oeko-Instiut
• 2009-2010: Member of the NanoCommission der German Federal Government (2. Dialogue phase).
• Since 2001: Research Associate at Oeko-Institut, Environmental Law & Governance Division
• 1999-2000: Master's programme in Environmental Law, University of Lüneburg; Magister Legum degree, Master's thesis in Energy Law
• 1997-1999: Legal clerkship, Cottbus Regional Court; completed second state examination with stages at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer a. R. and at the Ministry of the Environment of the State of Brandenburg (Department for Nature Conservation), Potsdam.
• 1991-1996: Law studies in Saarbrücken and Exeter (UK), completed first state examination.

Language skills

German (first language), English (fluent), French, Spanish and Turkish (basic knowledge)