Part 1 The implementation of EU environmental policy -deficiencies in theory and practice: introduction - new approaches to reach effective implementation - political rhetoric or sound concepts?, Christoph Knill and Andrea Lenschow; on deficient implementation and deficient theories - the need for an institutional perspective in implementation research, Christoph Knill and Andrea Lenschow. Part 2 The impact of institutional innovations: new structures for environmental governance in the European Commission - the institutional limits of governance change, Marieva Favino et al; improving implementation by networking - the role of the European environment agency, Rasmus Dilling. Part 3 The impact of new instruments: implementing voluntary policy instruments - the experience of the EU Ecolabel Award scheme, Robert Wright; environmental management systems and audits as alternative environmental policy instruments?, Jan Jaap Bouma; exploiting the implementation potential for alternative instruments - design options for environmental liability funds, Konstantinos Tsekouras; implementing European environmental policy and the directive on access to environmental information, Cliona Kimber; implementation of EU environmental policy in central European applicant states - the case of EIA, Joanne Caddy; improving compliance through domestic mobilization? new instruments and the effectiveness of implementation in Spain, Tanja A. Borzel; do new brooms really sweep cleaner? implementation of new instruments in EU environmental policy, Christoph Knill and Andrea Lenschow.