ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the dynamics that accompanied the negotiation and implementation of the Packaging Waste Directive. Evidence from the Packaging Waste Directive suggests that the uneven application of European Union (EU) policies has been increased with the move towards New Environmental Policy Instruments, as these instruments can be finely honed to reflect particular national policy agendas. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive was formally agreed by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament on the 20th December 1994. Although the Directive formalised standards for the management of packaging waste throughout the Union, the initial impetus for the policy did not come from the EU but the actions of several environmental leader states. The review of the British and German implementation of the Packaging Directive has revealed wide disparities in the way member states interpret and apply EU environmental law.
