European Union Environmental Policy After the Nice Summit

The European Union Nice Summit Treaty, the fourth major reform of the EU's founding treaties since 1957, amended the 1999 Amsterdam Treaty and set the foundation for expansion of the EU. Substantive changes in the Treaty will have implications for environmental issues and policies. Of particular concern are the allocation of votes and the voting rules, which will clearly affect the passage of environmental measures. This allocation stresses the strength of the member states, rather than the cohesion of the union. Furthermore, the addition of member states with weak environmental policies may slow the capacity of the EU to increase its environmental policies.