Abstract
The European Union has been hit by a range of crises since the late 2000s. The global financial and economic crises have led to the pursuit of austerity measures across the European Union (EU) limiting the ability and willingness of political elites to pursue ambitious environmental policy. This chapter reviews the impact of these crises upon the EUs external policy ambition, including consideration of how the UK’s decision to leave the Union may impact the Union’s wider environmental policy goals.
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Notes
- 1.
Interview, NGO Representative, Brussels, 14/04/15
- 2.
Interview, Commission Official, Brussels, 25/09/13
- 3.
Interview, Commission Official, Brussels, 25/09/13; Interview, Commission Official, Brussels, 23/09/13; Interview, MEP, Brussels, 26/09/13.
- 4.
Interview, COREPER Official, Brussels, 23/09/13
- 5.
2009 saw the entry into force of a new Treaty and an election. The comparable years would be 1999 when there was an election and the Treaty of Amsterdam entered into force and 2004, where there was again an election and the EU enlarged to admit 10 new members.
- 6.
Interview, MEP, Brussels 26/09/13
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Burns, C., Tobin, P. (2018). The Limits of Ambitious Environmental Policy in Times of Crisis. In: Adelle, C., Biedenkopf, K., Torney, D. (eds) European Union External Environmental Policy. The European Union in International Affairs. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60931-7_16
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