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Different reform initiatives and processes of general interest or of specifically an environmental nature, like the Lisbon process or the 6th Environmental Action Program, will have substantial influence on the future shaping of European environmental politics. The study "EU Environmental Governance" analyses and assesses these initiatives and lays down new options for their further development.

The study "EU Environmental Governance" forms part of the contribution given by the Belgian presidency on the discussion about environmental governance in the European Union. The slant of this study is a political one and therefore some suggestions will be presented to the presidency for policy choices. The study aims at initiating a process of learning both vertical and horizontal ways of making politics focusing on environmental governance and integration instruments. Furthermore the study reflects the necessity of a better coordination between the single sectors, between community institutions and between regional, local and European levels of governance. A survey of the different processes and initiatives provides a basis for analysing and assessing the reform process as well as the possibilities of broadening the consensus basis of European environmental decision making. The aspects covered from the present study are the following:

1. traditional approaches in European environmental policy making,
2. the 6th Environmental Action Programme,
3. the Cardiff Process,
4. the European sustainability strategy,
5. the reform of the Council of the European Union,
6. foreign policy and enlargement,
7. the Lisbon Process, the White Book on 'European governance', the Convention, the instrument for enhanced co-operation,
8. structures for environmental policy,
9. coherence and consistence,
10. effectiveness and implementation

Here you can download the study [pdf, 577 KB, English] and its summary [pdf, 231 KB, English].