ABSTRACT
The European Union (EU) has established major institutional changes that shape the way member states manage their common pool resources (CPRs). Contrary to the worldwide tendency to decentralize or share control over the management of natural resources, the EU is moving towards a centralized system to govern highly diverse ecological phenomena. Currently, however, little or no systematic attention has been paid to the role of the EU as a common pool resource manager and its outcomes in international and local arenas. What impact does the EU have in CPR management? Do current theories and approaches adequately explain it? What does this imply about the larger role that the EU plays in the world?
