ABSTRACT
The Oslo-Potsdam Solution has served as a benchmark concept to measure the effectiveness of global, international, and European Union (EU) policies. Building on Underdal, Sprinz and Helm and Helm and Sprinz developed a synoptic approach. To date, the Oslo-Potsdam Solution is the only numerical solution to measuring the effect of international treaty regimes and EU policies (both aggregate and country-specific effects), but could easily be used in the context of nonregimes (to elucidate whether these have effects), domestic policies, or multiple dimensions (necessitating a procedure of aggregation across dimensions). Empirically, the early regulations under the transboundary air pollution regime have received the strongest attention in terms of effectiveness assessments. Depending on the method chosen, the early sulfur and nitrogen protocols have generated only mild to medium effects on environmental quality, thus leaving substantial scope for improved policy design.
