The European Parliament and the origins of environmental policy

Drawing on a wide array of sources and literature, this study examines the role of the European Parliament in the establishment of the European Community's environmental policy. It argues that Parliament played a key role in placing this nascent policy issue on the agenda. It influenced the definition of what the policy should include, what it should focus on, and which instruments should be used to address environmental problems. In this process, Parliament filtered ideas, issues and political objectives from national and international debates into the European Community.