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The article evaluates how the transition of power underway in the international system has changed international climate negotiations, as well as the way the EU has responded to this process. More specifically, and, in line with the introductory article of this edition, it is argued that, until 2005-2007, negotiations took place within a structure of normative congruence, characterised by climate institutions being set up in spite of the reluctance of a very powerful coalition of states. However, since mid-way through the first decade of the 2000s, the negotiations have entered a phase of institutional lag and the new coalition of key actors (made up of the United States and emerging countries) are imposing a new conceptual approach that has left the old institutions clearly lagging behind. The EU has responded to this change by adjusting its strategies and objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of the environment has generated considerable debate regarding the need for specific tax policies aimed at encouraging changes in the behavior of individuals and economic operators. In Spain, the use these types of tax instruments has not produced satisfactory results given that their main purpose has been limited to the collection of taxes, overlooking their environmental function. Furthermore, preparatory work for the imminent tax reform has highlighted the opportunity to reverse this situation, although draft bills of law published to date do not appear to comply with that need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays public policies are insufficiently ambitious in order to reverse the environmental damage generated by man. Most of the literature that analyses policy changes tends to explain the incentives but do not give clear explanations about the limitation factors. We develop in this paper a reflection on policy change from the notion of transaction costs. Following a review of the three main approaches --sustainable development, ecological modernization and democratization-- we expose ten theses on the role of transaction costs in the policy change from the case of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo analiza decretos y sentencias en Derecho de Medio Ambiente de la Unión Europea (UE), España y Portugal emitidos entre diciembre de 2013 y marzo de 2014. Los temas tratados incluyen la directiva 2014/52/UE sobre evaluación del impacto de proyectos en el medio ambiente, la aprobación del Programa Estatal de Prevención de Residuos 2014-2020 de España y la ordenanza no. 40/2014 de Portugal sobre manejo de residuos de la construcción y demolición para protección del medio ambiente.

The study was performed in the province of Granada with the objective of determining the effects of the European agri-environmental policy to combat soil erosion on olive orchards of the region of Andalusia since Spain joined the EU (1986). To accomplish this objective we first studied the recent European normative about soil erosion. Secondly, an econometric analysis by probit models of farmers' participation in agri-environmental erosion schemes was developed. Finally an ordered probit model was estimated to test farmers' adoption of soil conservation practices with no tillage and herbicides. From the estimated probit models it is concluded that there are structural factors in farm and farmers that influence the decision of participating in plans to reduce the soil erosion, as well as characteristics of the plans, such as payments and advice to farmers. It is also noted that the European agri-environmental policy based on subsidies does not encourage adequately the environmental awareness of the farmer but perverts it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]