The Transformation of the European Union

The following sections are included:

• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Contributors
• Introduction

Over the years, an enormous amount of research has been devoted to analyzing the role of the European Union (EU) in climate negotiations (Zito, 2005; Falkner, 2007; Afionis and Stringer, 2012). However, not much has been written about how international obligations on the matter and the EU’s assumed role as a normative power in this regard have impacted its objectives in relation to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), nor how the path toward their achievement has transformed the EU’s own development, energy and economic models. For example, obligations to reduce GHG as part of the Kyoto Protocol necessarily lead to changes in industry, making it more efficient and less polluting. The objectives adopted at the European level in relation to the increasing use of renewable energy also lead to a change in the current energy model, from a model in which the use of fossil energy was predominant to one in which renewable energy not only contributes to reducing GHG, but also increases the energy security of European states. The promotion of a circular economy and the initiative of creating an Energy Union are both examples of the transformations that the EU is experiencing. Both initiatives will help improve the environment by reducing GHG emissions and by increasing the production of renewable energy, while both, as a whole, will help the EU achieve its international and domestic commitments, thus consolidating its leadership in global environmental governance. What the chapter examines is thus how the EU has been transformed as a result of the agreements achieved in the international domain and its position as a global leader in environmental issues. Concretely, the chapter will analyze how international agreements and the EU’s leadership have fostered the adoption of domestic goals and, as a result, how the EU is reinforcing its international leadership and promoting the adoption of robust international agreements…

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• The Sequence Copenhagen–Cancun–Durban and the Beginning of the Shared Leadership
• The EU Leadership Towards the PA
• The First Period of Implementation of the PA 2016–2018
• Conclusion
• References

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• A Brief History of Sustainability: A Conceptual Approach to “Sustainability” and “Sustainable Development”
• Sustainable Development Today as a Multidimensional Concept
• Some Notes on Global Governance and Sustainability: Global Environmental Governance
• A European Vision of Sustainability: Normative Framework
• EU Sustainability Model: Work in Progress with Many Challenges
• Conclusions
• References
• Charters, Resolutions, Reports, Treaties
• Case Law

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• The Evolution of the Goals of the International Development Cooperation Agenda
• The International Sustainable Development Agenda (2015–2030) and the EU
• Challenges between the EU Global Security Strategy and SDGs Agenda
• Conclusions
• References

The following sections are included:

• A European Circular Economy
• The Four Stages of CE
  • Stage 1: Production
  • Stage 2: Consumption
  • Stage 3: Waste Management
  • Stage 4: From Waste to Resources: Boosting the Market for Secondary Raw Materials and Water Reuse (i.e. Competitiveness and Innovation)
• Barriers to the Implementation of CE in Europe
• Funding CE in Europe: Innovation and Investment
• CE Priority Areas
  • A New Plastics CE
  • The Plastic Problem at Present
  • Transitioning Towards a New Plastics Economy
  • Europe’s New Plastics Economy
• The CE Monitoring Framework
• Initial EU CE Findings
• Conclusion
• References

Access to energy is today an indispensable condition for our subsistence and the maintenance of our way of life. Lighting, transport, housing, heating, industrial production and operation of household appliances, among others, require a constant energy supply at an affordable price which allows the competitiveness of European companies that make use of this energy for the generation of products and services to be maintained. According to data from the European Commission (EC), the European Union (EU) consumes a fifth of the world’s energy, which means an annual cost of more than 400,000 million Euros (European Commission, 2017), despite the fact that the internal reserves are scarce. One of our greatest challenges is the promotion of the use of renewable resources such as wind and solar power, and to favor research on how to improve their performance and utilization (the latter is very difficult due to the absence of a single energy market and the lack of interconnections between national networks) and how to reduce their environmental impact while investing in research for the discovery and use of further new sources of clean energy. The EU has a clear commitment for taking steps from the dependence on fossil fuels to the employment of clean energy and is carrying out measures in this direction, although still very insufficient…

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Conceptualization of Climate Security in EU Common Foreign and Security Policy
• EU Action for Promoting Climate Security
• Conclusion
• References
• Legislation

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• The Establishment and Evolution of the CoM: Work in Progress
• Policy Convergence through Coordination: Guiding Principles and Operational Tools
• Opportunities and Costs of the CoM Membership
• Barriers and Obstacles to Participation in the CoM
• The Dynamic Accountability of Multilevel Settings: Strengths and Weaknesses of Flexible Commitment
• Conclusion
• References

The following section is included:

• Index