Bavarian industry and the Bavarian State Government concluded on 23 October 1995 the Bavaria Environment Pact. It was enacted initially for a term of five years, with a view to ensure better environment protection. This Pact achieved for the first time in Germany mutual agreement exceeding the thematic and branch level, which helped expand cooperation between the State and economy to ecological partnership in environment protection. The Bavaria Environment Pact set a good example of ecology-oriented agreements and alliances to the other federal states. Five years of its operation brought positive results for the economy and the state. Particular progress has been recorded in environment protection in the enterprises. Thus on 23rd October 2000 the Bavarian State Government and Bavarian economy singed a new agreement for the next five years: the Bavaria Environment Pact: Sustainable Economic Development in the 21st Century. It is intended to further consolidate Bavaria´s leading place in the partnership for environment protection and to uphold sustainable ecological development. Guided by the first 1995 Bavarian Environment Pact, the Bavarian State Government and Bavarian economy set much store by the principles of cooperation and goodwill in the negotiation of joint targets.
      It is on the basis of these targets that the parties to the Pact have outlined practical measures aimed to:
           •  achieve progress in preventive environment protection of technical, social and economic acceptance;
           •  tackle the main challenges to ecological development on a long-term basis; and
           •  consolidate and further cooperation in environment protection and personal economic responsibility on provincial, federal and EU level.