|
About
the project
Although international
treaty systems and European environmental instruments
are negotiated separately, they affect each other's
performance and effectiveness. Such 'institutional interaction'
will cause conflicts, if regulatory approaches are incompatible.
However, it may also create synergies, if approaches
are mutually reinforcing. If not addressed properly,
inter-institutional conflicts (e.g. between the Kyoto
Protocol to protect the global climate and the biodiversity
convention) can inhibit and counteract the effectiveness
of international environmental co-operation. Exploiting
potential synergies, on the other hand, promises to
significantly increase the effectiveness of international
and European environmental policy-making.
The overall objective of the project is to generate
systematic knowledge about the interaction of international
treaty systems and EU environmental instruments in both
its horizontal dimension (i.e. between instruments at
the EU level as well as between international treaty
systems) and its vertical dimension (between international
treaty systems and EU instruments), and to derive suitable
policy recommendations. To this end, the project will,
first, develop a theoretical concept that categorises
phenomena of institutional interaction. Second, it will
elaborate comprehensive inventories of cases of interaction
for four international environmental treaty systems,
the world trading system (GATT/WTO) and High-Seas fisheries
management, as well as for six EU environmental instruments.
Third, selected cases of institutional interaction are
to be explored in depth within each case study in order
to analyse their consequences and available policy responses.
Fourth, a comparative evaluation will produce generalised
knowledge on institutional interactions and their impact
on the effectiveness of international treaty systems
and EU environmental instruments. On this basis, policy
recommendations are to be developed on how to avoid
and mitigate conflicts or enhance possible synergies
arising from such institutional interaction.
A concept paper will spell out categories of institutional
interaction as well as specific guidelines for the case
studies. The concept to be developed may also be employed
by other researchers interested in institutional interaction.
Comprehensive inventories for selected international
and European environmental instruments, GATT/WTO and
High-Seas fisheries management as well as in-depth analyses
of selected cases of interaction will be produced. Generalised
and case-specific knowledge about interaction phenomena
as well as general and specific policy recommendations
for preventing conflicts and enhancing synergies will
become available. Results of the project will be published
in a book.
|
