There has been a tremendous attention from EU scholars about environmental policy. Since the 1970’s there has been numerous environmental crises and the emergency of an environmental, social movement in several European countries, but even after green politics in Europe quietened and environmental policy gained a ‘normal’ status in the “acquis communautaire”, this attention never subsided.
This chapter argues that “the study of environmental policy lends its self to contribute to several larger debates on the dynamics in EU policy making and the nature of the EU polity.” And also this Chapter is structured into three parts, “the literature review of ‘the emergence of the policy and highlight the turn from integration of domestic theories’, ‘environmental policy performance’, identifying three different perspectives that have been adopted in the literature ‘investigating the level of regulation’, ‘implementation, and effectiveness’”. Finally, “it establishes the link between environmental policy making and the more general process of a European polity making”. First, the emergence and expansion of the policy, moving from ‘”niches to center stage’”, these are directives which were adopted to deal with “dangerous substances, noise and exhaust emission of motor vehicle”. The EU environmental policy spread the idea of covering all environmental media (air, water, soil) and major problem areas (waste, dangerous substances/ chemicals, nature protection). Organized interests, environmental interest groups are shaping the policy agenda in “Brussels perspective” and influence the decision-making process, by using a mix of strategies ranging from ‘political pressure and campaigns for the provision of policy advice and information’. The im...
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...cohesive as possible (Hey and Brendle, 1994; Webster, 1998). However, it happens that only some environmental groups have benefited from the opportunities available in the EU. This arguably I think it is an achievement for EU since it was created with the aim for promoting economic prosperity in Europe through environmental regulation.
In conclusion, however, although EU adopt legally binding directives and regulations, but still it lacks the capacity to control practical implementation, as well as the effective sanctioning mechanism. Similarly in EU mobilization is stronger which has promoted cooperation among environmental groups and better distribution of funds which help strengthen other environmental groups resulting into better implementation of EU environmental Policy and therefore, the anticipated dilemma in EU environmental governance can be inevitable.
A Modest Proposal Concerning the Environment * Based on Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” (1729). It is a melancholy object to those who travel through this great country to see isolated corners of this fair realm still devoted to protecting the environment. The wretched advocators of these ideals are frequently seen doling out petitions and begging at their neighbours’ doors to feed their obsession, which keeps them in the contemptible poverty that they so richly deserve.
...tained a streak of sustaining a strong society when suggesting their laws into the Criminal Justice System. Nonetheless, the recent proposal discussed on whether environmental harm should be criminalized has sparked controversy. There are many pros and cons that can be acknowledged in this case. One main thing is certain; the environment is very sacred to every human being and should be well cared for. Thus, there are many other techniques that can do this rather than it simply being placed in the Criminal Code. Civilians need to have a fair chance to deal with problems and as a whole; they can come together to help this environmental issue. Non-legal regulators can work together with society to better our world. Taking legal action would make things more complicated than need be when considering a law that has more negatives to our justice system than positives.
When analysts criticise the lack of democratic legitimacy in the EU they generally point to the mode of political representation and the nature of policy outputs. Only one branch of the EU is directly elected is the European Parliament. Though stronger than it once was, the EP remains is actually only one of four major actors in the EU policy-making process. The EP is a body without power or accountability, and easily dismissed just as a ‘talking shop’ (Colin Pilkington.) Only 75% of its amendments are accepted by the Commission and the Council of Ministers.
The European Union (EU) is fundamentally democratic and is evident through its institutions, however, the current democratic electoral structure is of great concern. The EU is a new type of political system, often referred to as a sui generis, implying its uniqueness as there exists and a non comparable political body. The EU can neither regarded as a ‘state’ nor as an ‘international institution’ as it combines supranational as well as intergovernmental characteristics (Hix, 1999, p7). In this regard it has developed its own understandings of what democracy is. It is evident that the development of and spread of democracy is a central concept and foundation to all politics within the EU, and remains focuses on makings its governing institutions “more transparent and democracy”. The recent Eurozone crisis, it’s associated anti-crisis measures and the recent enlargement of EU have however re-invigorated debate about the EUs democratic legitimacy. At the heart of the debate are discussions not about whether the EU is an all-encompassing democratic institution but rather what are ‘democratic deficits’ or the democratic shortcomings that exist within this powerful economic and political union. Underpinning these divisions as Schmitter argues, are different understandings of what democracy is in the modern context and more specifically in the unique context of the EU. This essay will argue that the EU presents a unique type of political system that is fundamentally democratic, however, there are democratic shortcomings within its procedural and institutional structure.
One of the original European institutions is the Commission. Though it was one of the originals, the institution has tremendously changed from what it used to be when the European integration first began. The Commission is a supranational body responsible for legislation proposals and policy implementation. It continues to work toward a more democratic European Union every day with the new legislations and laws that it passes. In this paper I will establish why I believe the EU Commission to be a supranational body, it’s relevance to the European Union and some of the strengths and weaknesses of the institution for the citizens of the European Union.
The European Union stands on the threshold of unparalleled change over the coming years. The next waves of enlargement will be unprecedented in nature and continental in scale. This process has gained so much political momentum that it is now irreversible.
Theorin, B. (1999, January 14). Report on the environment, security and foreign policy (Hughes procedure) - Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy - A4-0005/1999. European Parliament. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A4-1999-0005+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN
The doctrine of Supremacy of the EU Law has been adopted from the European Court of Justice, in which the doctrine covers all aspects of law in member states. The supremacy is evidently implied in the Treaty on European Union Article 4(3) and Treaty of the functioning of the European Union Article 18 , which emphasises the prohibitions against discrimination. This is then supported by Article 288 TFEU whereby the regulations are binding upon each member state. Furthermore, Article 344 TFEU ensures resolution between member states. This assignment will discuss to what extent the acceptance of the supremacy of the EU law has been problematic in regards to parliamentary sovereignty.
First, the structure of the framework strongly supports an extensive analysis of the directive and of the context in which it was formulated and implemented. Second, each element is important when trying to clarify how a policy is created in the European Union and the impact of the policy on businesses. The 'issue' element provides an opportunity to explain the content of the directive. The 'actors', 'interests','arenas' and 'assets' elements describe and illustrate the power play involved in European Union policy formulation and implementation and the place occupied by businesses. The 'information' element demonstrates the ever increasing importance that knowledge has within the European Union and how it can be used by businesses. Finally, the design of a non-market strategy supported by the (IA)3 framework enables a firm to become active and not only adapt to a certain policy but also gain an opportunity to influence the environment within which it is
EIA was firstly presented in the United States (US) in 1969 under the National Environmental Policy Act, in order to aid the decision making and planning processes, while in Europe was adopted in 1985 with the name of European Union Directive (85/337/EEC) on Environmental Impact Assessment or EIA Directive (ibidem). Since then it has been amended in 1997, 2003, 2009 and in 2013, although a final comment and approval from the EC is still expected [European Parliament (EP), 2013].
The environment and health are very closely linked. The environment in which we inhabit and go about our daily lives, directly impacts on our physical, mental and social well-being. There are biological, chemical and physical factors that can affect human health in a physical and mental way. The World Health Organisation states that "health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO 1948), meaning that although many factors relating to health are associated with environmental pollution, they can also be caused by the environment in which we work and live in. The relationship between the environment and health, can however be quite complex. Human health is not only as a result of air, water and ground pollution, but also things such as food, genetics, life style and quality, which directly affect human susceptibility to illness, disease and possibly death. Disruptions to the environment, such as substance dispersal, climate change, acidification, ground pollution, photochemical air pollution and over fertilisation can also impact on human health. Therefore, there are direct and indirect links to the environment and health issues.
The enforcement of European Union decisions in each member state reflects the status of the polity of the EU. At the moment none of the member states of the EU enforce all of the decisions made by EU legislation. If the member state does decide to implement the decisions they may sometimes do it in a timely manner. This scenario implies that the European Union is somewhat of an Intergovernmental organization. The European Union can only fully become a supra-national organization if all of the member states let their guard down and agree to comply with all decisions and policies of the European Union. Martin Shapiro wrote, "Implementation, as we all know, is in the hands of the administrations of Member States… Everyone knows it would be a miracle if all Member State administrations were implementing most EU regulations, let alo...
Steger, Tamara and Richard Filcak. 2009. Articulating the basis for Promoting Environmental Justice in Central and Eastern Europe. Environmental Justice: Volume 1, Number 1.)
The environment today is not in a good condition, Climate change is evident, and oceans are getting polluted. Rainforrest's are decreasing in size due to deforestation and illegal logging. Animals are getting extinct due to the destruction of their habitats. Natural resources are being consumed at very large amounts, and get wasted. There are different ways these problems can be addressed, one option is environmental management. Environmental management focuses on conservation of natural resources, protection of habitats, and impact of humans on the environment. Conservation of natural resources is the smart use of the world's resources by humans, through this waste production is limited, and there will be less garbage in the world. By conserving
There are lots of environmental issues going on globally. The earth faces problems such as pollution, global warming, waste disposal, and loss of biodiversity. These are just a small amount of issues out of the so many. These environmental problems pose an abundant amount of risk to the health of humans and animals. There needs to be a solution to all these problems and that is by informing others, so that way everyone can make the environment a better place.