The Quest for Environmental Regulatory Integration in the European Union

It is a commonplace that pollution knows no borders, and that environmental
law must allow for cross-border implementation. The European Union specifies
this principle in EC directives on integrated pollution prevention and control
(IPPC), on environmental impact assessment (EIA), and on the control of major
accident hazards involving dangerous substances (Seveso II). This is the first
book to investigate from both empirical and normative perspectives the
effectiveness of these directives at the national level. It provides by far
the most extensive comparative analysis and evaluation of the industrial
permitting and inspections, EIA, and major accident prevention in the EU.

Offering an in-depth study of the transposition and implementation of EC
environmental directives in eight EU member states (Denmark, France, Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom), the author who
has played a significant role in the formulation of environmental legislation
and regulation at both the national (German) and EU levels¿provides a stable
base for an assessment of the benefits and costs of the integrated approach to
environmental protection. Among the factors considered are the following:

key features of national constitutional, administra¬tive, and judicial systems
which provide the framework for environ¬mental regulations and their
implementation in the eight countries under study;

procedures and substantive requirements transposing the IPPC, EIA and Seveso
II directives into national laws; and

evaluation of national deficiencies and the extent of muddling through.

The empirical part of Dr Bohne's analysis draws on 138 expert interviews with
public and private actors, a survey of 178 public authorities, and document
analyses of selected industrial permits and environmental impact statements.
His comparative analysis of procedural, organizational, and substantive
integration makes it possible to identify and compare national accomplishments
in regulatory integration, and offers new insights into the effectiveness and
limits of EC law. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of
the findings for European governance and better regulation after the
enlargement of the EU.

This thoroughly researched, rigorous, and insightful study will be of great
interest and value to policymakers, regulators, business people, environmental
NGOs, consultants, and lawyers, as well as to students of environmental
policies and European governance.