ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the extent to which New Environmental Policy Instruments (NEPIs) have contributed towards the effective implementation of environmental policies in the European Union (EU). The Packaging Waste Directive has been used to highlight broader issues concerning the translation of economic theory on environmental policies into practical action in the EU member states. One of the more immediate effects of the single currency on NEPls will undoubtedly be a greater transparency in the design of economic instruments, as governments, businesses and citizens can more readily compare national variations in environmental taxes. There is little reason to suppose that the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) accessions will lead to the creation of more NEPIs at EU level. If anything, enlargement will increase the number of economic objections to supranational fiscal measures, whilst more established member states might reasonably question the environmental appropriateness of NEPIs designed with half an eye on the implementation deficiencies of the CEE countries.
