Implementing EU Pollution Control: Law and Integration

✍ Scribed by Bettina Lange

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 346
• Series: Cambridge Studies in European Law and Policy
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Through a detailed analysis this book examines the role of law in European Union integration processes through the implementation of the EU Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control at European Level and in the UK and Germany. The book questions traditional conceptions which perceive law as the 'formal law in the books', as instrumental and as relatively autonomous in relation to its social contexts. The book also discusses in depth how the key legal obligation on the Directive, to employ 'the best available techniques', is actually implemented. This research locates the analysis of the implementation of the IPPC Directive in the wider context of current, cutting-edge political science and sociology of law debates about the role of law in EU integration processes, the nature of EU law, new modes of governance and the significance of 'law in action' for understanding legal process.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Series editors’ preface......Page 13
Acknowledgements......Page 15
Update on the IPPC Directive......Page 16
Abbreviations......Page 19
What is law in European Union integration?......Page 23
Key features of the IPPC Directive......Page 25
Amendments of the IPPC Directive......Page 27
Implementation of the IPPC Directive in the UK and Germany......Page 28
Key actors......Page 29
Key procedures......Page 30
Key procedures......Page 32
Why the IPPC Directive?......Page 33
A brief note on research methods......Page 35
Argument and contribution of the book......Page 37
Outline of the book......Page 41
Introduction......Page 50
The idea of a specifically legal dimension to EU integration......Page 51
Assumptions about the nature of law in EU integration......Page 52
Modernist perspectives in a traditional approach towards law in EU integration......Page 53
The focus on official legal actors promoting EU integration......Page 54
The focus on formal law in EU integration......Page 56
Instrumental conceptions of law in EU integration......Page 60
An instrumental perspective of law: Functionalist sociology’s approach......Page 63
Beyond functionalist sociology: Further legal theory and sociology of law support for the instrumental perspective that 'law integrates'......Page 67
Relatively autonomous EU law......Page 69
Conclusion......Page 73
Introduction......Page 77
Theoretical commitments of critical perspectives on the role of law in EU integration......Page 78
Beyond a focus on official legal actors......Page 80
Questioning instrumental conceptions of EU and national law in EU integration processes......Page 81
Limitations of the functionalist sociological argument in support of the integrative force of law......Page 84
What actually is 'integration’? - Questioning the claim that law 'integrates’......Page 86
Transcending formal conceptions of law in EU integration......Page 90
Developing further critical alternatives to the emphasis on formal state law in EU integration......Page 95
Questioning the idea of the relative autonomy of EU and national law......Page 98
The challenge to the notion of autonomous law in functionalist sociology......Page 99
Challenging the notion of autonomous law in studies on lsquoEU law in context’......Page 100
Close links between law and politics in EU integration......Page 101
'Law in action’ in EU integration......Page 103
Conclusion......Page 104
Points of intersection between 'social’ and 'legal’ worlds at the heart of 'law in action’......Page 108
Are social and legal worlds dependent or independent?......Page 112
Proximity and distance between a 'social’ and a 'legal’ sphere......Page 114
Law in context......Page 116
Moving away from positivist, behaviouralist and instrumental perspectives on intersections between a 'social’ and a 'legal’ world......Page 117
Power mediating intersections between a 'social’ and a 'legal’ world......Page 119
Interests as a pointer to power?......Page 122
Conclusion......Page 123
Introduction......Page 126
Capturing power relations through an analysis of a political discourse on BAT determinations......Page 127
Do interests shape BAT determinations?......Page 129
The interests of industry and member states in BAT determinations......Page 130
Fragmented and overlapping interests......Page 132
Small-scale tactics and strategies of power: Managing the supply of information......Page 134
Managing information flows through the strategic production of information......Page 135
BAT as the outcome of negotiation......Page 138
Talking interests and generating procedure......Page 140
Do 'actors’ determine BAT in BREFs?......Page 141
Talking about 'balance of power’ - generating fluid, flexible and constantly evolving procedures......Page 146
How a political discourse generates a technical counter-discourse......Page 149
Blurring distinctions between a political and a technical discourse......Page 151
What concept of power is implied in a political discourse concerning BAT?......Page 153
Conclusion......Page 155
Introduction......Page 164
Why does variation in open and closed BAT norms matter?......Page 165
Defining open BAT norms......Page 168
Defining closed BAT norms......Page 170
Can open and closed BAT norms really be distinguished ?......Page 171
Why and how are open and closed BAT norms generated during the implementation of the IPPC Directive?......Page 173
BAT discourse leaving tensions between key dimensions of BAT unresolved......Page 176
Norm differentiation as a further means of opening up a BAT concept......Page 179
Generating variation in open and closed norms by providing justifications......Page 182
Open BAT norms in BREFs as an interest position of some industry associations and member states......Page 183
Accounting for closed BAT norms through a political discourse......Page 185
BAT as a procedural norm......Page 186
Justifying variation in open and closed BAT norms through a political discourse on environmental regulators’ policies......Page 187
Tactics and strategies for achieving open BAT norms in the political discourse......Page 188
Grasping opportunities for avoiding norm closure in a multi-level governance system: 'passing up’, 'passing down’ and 'passing on’ BAT determinations......Page 190
Generating variation in open and closed BAT norms through a technical discourse......Page 192
Insufficient 'information’ about techniques......Page 193
Complex techniques and installations......Page 194
BAT as a dynamic technology standard......Page 195
Conclusion......Page 196
Introduction......Page 213
Defining a broad-ranging economic discourse......Page 214
Costs of IPPC implementation for operators and industrial sectors......Page 215
Costs of IPPC permitting for regulators......Page 218
Multiple opportunities for talking about costs......Page 222
From basic assertions of costs to detailed cost calculations......Page 225
Pervasive but not necessarily perceptible costs......Page 228
Raising cost arguments in the language of a technical discourse......Page 231
Raising cost arguments through reference to time......Page 233
Links between an economic and a political discourse in BAT determinations......Page 234
Functions of an economic discourse in BAT determinations......Page 236
Bureaucratic or expert judgement permitting?......Page 238
Conclusion......Page 239
Introduction......Page 249
Defining and tracing an integration effect in the context of IPPC licensing for coke ovens......Page 250
The role of law in shaping perceptions about what constitutes BAT for coke cooling......Page 253
Legal discourse on what constitutes BAT for coke cooling......Page 254
What is BAT for coke cooling? The perspective of an economic discourse......Page 259
What is BAT for coke cooling from the perspective of a political discourse?......Page 262
A technical discourse on what constitutes BAT for coke cooling......Page 264
Opening up a technical discourse through a language of purpose and relativity......Page 266
A language of intentions......Page 267
A language of relativity......Page 269
Conclusion......Page 274
Introduction......Page 286
Changing debates about the relationships between law and integration......Page 287
The 'microphysics’ of power in lsquoEU law in action’......Page 290
Social norms and EU 'law in action’......Page 291
Formal EU law?......Page 292
Instrumental EU law?......Page 293
Relatively autonomous EU law?......Page 297
Scope and limitations of the argument......Page 299
Implications of 'law in action’ analysis for theories of EU integration......Page 306
Reliability and validity of the data......Page 314
Data sources and collection techniques......Page 316
A critical appraisal of data sources and collection techniques......Page 321
A critical appraisal of data analysis techniques......Page 324
Bibliography......Page 326
Index......Page 338