Joint approaches to environmental policy-making, particularly those involving voluntary agreements (VAs), have gained popularity in many instances in recent years as a complement to the regulatory and economic instruments that have been more commonly applied to date. Joint approaches to environmental policy-making are based not on confrontation but on co-operation and consensus. Based on the results of two major cross-national research projects 1 , this paper discusses the current status of this 'friendly' approach to policy-making across Europe. Reasons for the emergence and development of this approach to policy-making are proposed and the function, effectiveness and efficiency of the related policy instruments are evaluated. The analysis highlights the significance of both the formulation and implementation processes and the design and content of the instruments. It also stresses the importance of the cultural, political, institutional and environmental context in which these approaches are developed and used. The proposed framework provides a practical checklist for business and governmental policy-makers alike, advancing the understanding and evaluation of joint approaches and VAs.