The EU in International Environmental Politics

1
The EU in International Environmental Politics

• Chad Damro
• University of Edinburgh
• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
  Ireland

2
PRIMARY QUESTIONS

• To what extent has the EU overcome the obstacle
  of shared competence in UN environmental
  politics?
• How might the EUs impact be magnified?

3
Internal Effectiveness

• ERTA Decision (1971)
• Environmental Action Programmes
• Shared competence determines EUs ability to
• Represent Union at international negotiations
• Sign and ratify agreements
• Implement domestic measures necessary to meet
  commitments

4
External Effectiveness

• EU is signatory to over 60 MEAs
• EUs relations with UN system via
• UNEP
• CSD
• EUs ability to attain objectives and manage
  lengthy UN negotiations on climate change

5
EU Magnification I

• Pursue compromise with AP6
• Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and
  Climate
• Australia, India, Japan, PRC, S. Korea, USA
• Promote enviro objectives in IOs
• UN agencies, G8, OECD

6
EU Magnification II

• Link environmental issues to trade incentives
• Inter-regional trade and bilateral agreements
• WTOs Doha Round (MEAs and eco-labelling)
• WTO membership

7
EU Magnification III

• Promote global environmental governance
• Improve coordination among overlapping MEAs
• Upgrade UNEP
• Lead by implementation example
• ETS Success?
• ETS Crash?
• NAP negotiations

8
Conclusions

• Some hope and cause for concern
• EU seems to have overcome limitations of shared
  competence
• Still can be confusing to third parties
• Implementation issues/credibility?
• Role of US and AP6?
• Watch for 2012