The European Union in international environmental negotiations: a legal perspective on the internal decision-making process

Abstract

EU decision-making, EU member states, European Commission, Mixed agreements,

The European Union in international environmental negotiations: an analysis of the Stockholm Convention negotiations

“…In the context of the EU negotiating multilateral environmental agreements, two kinds of delegation occur (Delreux, 2006). On the one hand, negotiation authority is delegated to the European Commission for all the issues falling under the competences of the European Community.…”

Environmental conservation and the production of new territories: the example of French départements

“…This is also a kind of use of the value of ecosystem services (Cheshire and Sheppard 1995;Irwin and Bockstael 2004), which is known as territorial rent (Freeman 1993;Costanza et al 1997;Geoghegan et al 1997;Bastian et al 2002). The evolution of SNS policy prefigures the shift of territorial management towards governance (Commission of the European Communities 2001; Hergenhan 2001;Adger et al 2003;Delreux 2006) for two reasons: firstly because as shown and used in the Natura 2000 network, the rule in ecological management is now to introduce territorial development, in economic, social and political terms; and secondly because, as said by Hergenhan (2001), ''the concept of governance goes beyond that of traditional government, in particular since it involves nongovernmental players (such as ''civil society'') and Sub-State entities (local authorities, cities and municipalities, etc.)''. This shift is well observed by Calleo (2001) who says that Europe is going to be ''a genuinely new political form'' and ''should become an efficacious example of variable geometry on a global scale''.…”

“…Tools for acquiring the necessary knowledge, data (particularly inventories) and protection instruments have been developed in the European Union to support the implementation of natural area conservation, management and restoration policies (Jupille and Caporaso 1998;Delreux 2006;Fevrier 2006;Pinton et al 2007). Integrating biological diversity into all public policies by means of planning instruments is also a key aspect of national environmental protection policy in European countries (Balmford et al 2002;Pröbstl 2003;Prazan et al 2005;Delreux 2006;Fevrier 2006).…”

“…Integrating biological diversity into all public policies by means of planning instruments is also a key aspect of national environmental protection policy in European countries (Balmford et al 2002;Pröbstl 2003;Prazan et al 2005;Delreux 2006;Fevrier 2006). The scope of our paper is to examine how major environmental issues are today very much a part of the decision-making processes concerning land management, and local and urban planning.…”

The EU as a negotiator in multilateral chemicals negotiations: multiple principals, different agents

“…As a result, the EC and the member states participate in the negotiations. While the EC participation is regulated in article 300 TEC, which appoints the Commission as the negotiator, there is no legal framework at the EU level for the member states part (Delreux T., 2006). However, practice learns that the member states often decide to pool their voices and delegate negotiation autonomy to the Presidency or another member state.…”