INTEGRATING THE ENVIRONMENT - THE EUROPEAN COURT AND THE CONSTRUCTIONOF SUPRANATIONAL POLICY

The European Court of Justice operates to expand the integration proje ct by serving as an arena for transnational political action carried o ut by national and supranational policy actors. This article examines this dynamic through the evolution of environmental protection policy in the European Union.(1) The data presented in this analysis pertain to Article 177 of the Treaty of Rome. The Article 177 procedure reveal s the Court's role in constructing European environmental law, and als o the integral role that national judges and private litigants (indivi duals and interest groups) play in deepening integration. Furthermore, this procedure reveals a Court which often acts in opposition to nati onal government preferences. The general framework proposed by this an alysis is appropriate for examining the case law in subsequent policy areas.