Domestic and international linkages are increasingly being influenced by regional organizations such as the European Union (EU) and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and arrangements such as the European Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Although different in form and scope, these regional arrangements are important actors that challenge the adequacy of the terms “domestic” and “international.” “Domestic” typically refers only to events and policies that develop within national borders, but increasingly we are confronted by the need to examine those that occur within regional settings. At the same time, not only nations, but also regional organizations, non-governmental and transnational interests, including environmental NGOs and multinational corporations, participate in the negotiation of “international” agreements. The Uruguay Round negotiations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the negotiations related to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) clearly demonstrated how regional organizations and international interests have helped to shape “domestic/international” dynamics on economic and environmental matters.

The EU, which was formed by the Maastricht Treaty in November 1993 and does not substitute for, but includes the European Community (EC), has unique supranational responsibilities in economic and environmental matters. It represents an important interface between the domestic and international dimensions of environmental policymaking. The EU has developed its own environmental policy and legislation, and it is party to several international environmental agreements. In developing EU policies or in participating in international negotiations, EU institutions do not act in isolation from EU member states but rather represent a “bridge” between the EU members and the broader international community.