New environmental policy instruments in the European Union. Politics, economics and the implementation of the Packaging Waste Directive

Book abstract:

The rising mountains of waste in our communities have, not surprisingly, been accompanied by rising mountains of opinions and ideas as to how waste is constrained to ensure the cleaner and safer environment to which the majority aspire. This work moves from a discussion of ideas to a testing out of the new policy instruments in the effective implementation of environmental policies in the EU.

Organised over seven chapters, it first gives the background and sets out the aims, objectives and methodology of the work. Chapter two addresses the EU environmental politics and the collection of implementing mechanisms available to policy makers. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) is chosen to test out NEPIs (New Environmental Policy Instruments) and chapter two discusses the background to this policy and the implementation strategies employed in the UK and Germany. Chapters four and five evaluate ways in which NEPIs have been employed to implement the Directive, looking at recycling infrastructure and the changes in waste management prompted by the Directive. The extent to which NEPIs have contributed towards effective implementation of the European environmental programme and the convergence of Member State policies is explored in chapter six. The future prospects for NEPIs in EU environmental policy are examined in chapter seven, which looks at potential implications of the Single European Currency, the Euro and the challenges posed by the enlargement of the EU to CEE countries.

The book will interest students, researchers and policy-makers engaged in the fields of environmental policy, EU studies and environmental analysts in the business community.

Ian Bailey is Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Plymouth.