The Ambiguity of Multi-Level Governance and (De-)Harmonisation in EU Environmental Law

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter explores the ambiguous allocation of authority in the governance of two areas of environmental protection: industrial pollution and genetically modified organisms. Ambiguity, that is, a difficulty in asserting that any single actor has the final word on a subject, is inevitable in the EU’s multi-level governance system and is not necessarily undesirable. These two examples demonstrate that even in the face of concerted efforts to introduce a formal hierarchy, the need for collaboration around softer norms persists.