Resolving tomorrow's environmental problems will require both ingenuity and commitment. It will also depend on the presence of effective "international environmental regimes"--that is to say, systems of norms, rules, and structures that guide environmental action across nations.

In an era when environmental problems transcend political boundaries, regimes enable nation-states to address problems they would not be able to handle alone.

The authors of this book embrace the role of regimes in international environmental protection and ask: What can we learn from the European Union (EU)? They begin their examination of the EU by reviewing how it was formed, its organizational structure, and the evolution of EU environmental policy.

They then explore several case studies illustrating recent EU environmental policy challenges and successes. This broad overview should be of particular use to readers less familiar with the EU, although the book does not address the EU's expansion that occurred in 2004 or the resulting implications for environmental protection.

From this case study analysis and a comparison of EU and U.S. environmental policy, the authors conclude that the EU has been relatively successful in addressing environmental issues.

They also contend that these successes stem from key institutional elements of the regimen. Chief among these are the EU's elevation of sustainability to a core objective, the adoption of a precautionary approach to environmental action, and improved integration of environmental and economic policies.

Notwithstanding some weaknesses in the areas of policy implementation and enforcement, the authors find the EU to be a good model for future development of international environmental regimes.