Explaining differences in environmental policy across Europe: the importance of informal institutions, incomplete information and path dependence

What factors shape environmental policies across Europe? In order to answer this question most economists would probably adopt a Public Choice approach. This approach has explained some aspects of environmental policies that exist in a similar fashion across Europe convincingly. But why do many environmental policies differ across European countries? This article argues that in order to understand differences in environmental policies in Europe North's analysis on institutions and institutional change is useful. It demonstrates the relevance of North's approach with a case study: the implement... Mehr ...