Is Co-decision Good for the Environment? An Analysis of the European Parliament's Green Credentials

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is Co-decision Good for the Environment?

T2 - An Analysis of the European Parliament's Green Credentials

AU - Burns, Charlotte Jennie

AU - Carter, Neil Thomas

PY - 2010/2

Y1 - 2010/2

N2 - The European Parliament (EP) has long been regarded as a positive force for environmental change in the EU, but there has been little detailed empirical scrutiny to determine whether its reputation as a green champion is deserved. Nor has there been any evaluation of the environmental impact of the increase in EP powers under co-decision. These oversights are rectified by an evaluation of the EP's amendments to environmental legislation using typologies that rank them in terms of their level of ecological commitment and importance. EP amendments proposed under three procedures of decision making are compared in order to determine whether recent increases in the EP's powers under the co-decision procedure have affected its ability and willingness to adopt 'green' amendments. It is clear that the EP has consistently tried to strengthen environmental legislation but there is some ambiguity as to whether co-decision has been good for the environment.

AB - The European Parliament (EP) has long been regarded as a positive force for environmental change in the EU, but there has been little detailed empirical scrutiny to determine whether its reputation as a green champion is deserved. Nor has there been any evaluation of the environmental impact of the increase in EP powers under co-decision. These oversights are rectified by an evaluation of the EP's amendments to environmental legislation using typologies that rank them in terms of their level of ecological commitment and importance. EP amendments proposed under three procedures of decision making are compared in order to determine whether recent increases in the EP's powers under the co-decision procedure have affected its ability and willingness to adopt 'green' amendments. It is clear that the EP has consistently tried to strengthen environmental legislation but there is some ambiguity as to whether co-decision has been good for the environment.

KW - UNION

KW - CODECISION

KW - AMSTERDAM

KW - POLITICS

KW - EU

KW - LEGISLATION

KW - CHEMICALS

KW - CONFLICT

KW - POLICY

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=74049160877&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2009.00782.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2009.00782.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0032-3217

VL - 58

SP - 123

EP - 142

JO - Political Studies

JF - Political Studies

IS - 1

ER -