Since the late 1970s, the European Union (EU) has seen an immense growth in regulatory measures aimed at environmental protection. In more recent years, this regulatory activity has come under increasing criticism. This has coincided with a more general disenchantment with regulation, resulting in a wave of deregulation initiatives. These initially focused on privatization and market liberalization in various industries (economic deregulation), but subsequently have also been applied to environmental policy itself.

New Instruments for Environmental Policy in the EU provides a comprehensive analysis of the debate over new forms of environmental regulation in the European Union.
The conclusions draw attention to critical aspects of instrument design, as well as the difficulty of accommodating national policy diversity without contravening EU and international trade rules. Drawing on critical research and practical experience, this book presents a number of recommendations for improving the next generation of environmental policies and explores comparisons between the search for new...