Environmental regimes in the European Union: A comparison of effectiveness by regime level

This study examines and compares the effectiveness of regimes at three levels: the supranational, the institutional intergovernmental, and the non-institutional intergovernmental. Previous research has examined the achievements of individual environmental regimes, but none has compared the success exhibited by different regime levels.;This study takes an institutionalist approach, examining three regime levels as institutions for managing common pool resources. Institutionalism focuses on the behaviors and practices associated with the various actors occupying roles in institutions such as environmental regimes. Regimes were defined as patterns of interaction among interested parties developed to address common problems.;The European Union (EU) is used as a case for examination because of its unique structure and organization. The EU offers a situation in which environmental agreements have been made by the Member States under all three forms of regime: non-institutional intergovernmental agreements, institutional intergovernmental agreements, and supranational agreements. By understanding the environmental challenges facing the EU and the approaches taken to meet those challenges, we can better understand the structures and variables that impact the ability of regimes to meet their goals.;Regression analysis is used to compare effectiveness among the three regime levels. Results indicate that the regime level at which an environmental agreement is constructed can significantly impact the effectiveness of the regime as measured by changes in the environmental indicator. However, the direction of the change may not be as expected, alerting policy makers of potential challenges associated with meeting environmental goals.