Institutional Interaction in Global Environmental Governance: Synergy and Conflict among International and EU Policies (Global Environmental Accord: ... and Institutional Innovation) [Hardcover]

Sebastian Oberthür (Editor), Thomas Gehring (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Global Environmental Accord: Strategies for Sustainability and Institutional Innovation | Publication Date: February 17, 2006

This systematic investigation of the interaction among international and European institutions provides both a theoretical framework for analysis and the first broad overview of this largely uncharted field of research. By offering detailed case studies and a systematic analysis of results, the book examines the effects of institutional interaction on environmental governance and explores the ways in which international and European Union policies can either reinforce or undercut one another.After a conceptual overview in which Oberthür and Gehring identify three causal mechanisms by which institutional interaction can affect environmental governance, ten case studies apply this theoretical approach. Six cases use an international institution as their starting point and four begin with a European Union legal instrument. The international regimes examined include the widely known Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and World Trade Organization and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The EU instruments analyzed include lesser-known directives on the protection of habitats, the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms into the environment, and air quality. The studies show that although conflict and interference among different regimes and institutions do take place, synergistic interactions are common. The findings on the importance of, and mechanisms behind, these outcomes offer valuable insights for both scholars and policymakers.Contributors:Beatrice Chaytor, Clare Coffey, Andrew Farmer, Thomas Gehring, John Lanchbery, Sebastian Oberthür, Alice Palmer, G. Kristin Rosendal, Jon Birger Skjærseth, Olav Schram Stokke, Ingmar von Homeyer, Jacob Werksman, Jørgen Wettestad

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the face of growing 'regulatory competition' among international environmental institutions at different levels, and considering the prominence of the EU in this field, an analysis of its interaction with global and other regional institutions is overdue, and addresses an important problem of international governance. The contributions to this volume are original, some of them truly innovative, and the book is likely to have an impact not only on international regime theory but also on the empirical verification of regime effectiveness, and hence could provide useful feedback for future policy and strategy development."--Peter H. Sand, Institute of International Law, University of MunichPlease note: Endorser gives permission to excerpt from quote.

"Steinberg provides a detailed history of the development of conservation policies in Costa Rica and Bolivia, stressing the entrepreneurial roles of well-connected domestic scientific elites who are able to mediate between international forces from the scientific community and financial institutions and the top levels of their own governments. This book exemplifies careful methodological attention to the political mechanisms of policy change and provides important lessons towards the foundation of effective sustainable development practices in developing countries. Both policy analysts and conservation practitioners should read it."--Peter M. Haas, Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts AmherstPlease note: Endorser gives permission to excerpt from quote.

"This book is an authoritative effort to inject a degree of intellectual order into a field of research still characterized by widespread interdisciplinary confusion. It will not only be a major contribution to the literature in this field; it is likely to become a standard reference source for future research."--Peter H. Sand, Institute of International Law, University of Munich

About the Author

Sebastian Oberthür is Scientific Director at the Institute for European Studies, Brussels, Belgium.

Thomas Gehring is Professor of International Politics and European Integration at Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 424 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (February 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 026205115X
• ISBN-13: 978-0262051156
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,503,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)