Introduction: European Union External Environmental Policy

Abstract

The global environment is, by many measures, in a perilous state. There are, however, signs of progress in terms of governance responses, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change. Against this backdrop, this book charts the role the European Union has played in shaping environmental policies beyond its borders. Over recent decades, the EU has developed into an important actor in global environmental governance. However, systematic analysis of the EU’s environmental policies has largely focused on its internal environmental policies and how the EU pursues its environmental objectives within its own borders, somewhat neglecting the EU’s external environmental policies. This introductory chapter elaborates the analytical framework and concepts employed in the book and provides an overview of the content of the chapters.