Comparing Regional Environmental Governance Comparing Regional Environmental Governance in East Asia and Europein East Asia and Europe

Environmental Governance in AsiaEnvironmental Governance in Asia　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Shunji MATSUOKShunji MATSUOKProfessor, Waseda UniversityProfessor, Waseda University

January 24, 2013January 24, 2013smatsu@waseda.jpsmatsu@waseda.jp

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1 Introduction: Asian regional integration research and

institutional integ1 Introduction: Asian regional integration research and institutional integration ration

Contents of Keynote

1. Introduction: Asian Regional Integration Research and Institutional Integration

2. Institutional Theory Approach and East Asian Regional Institutions

3. Formation of Asian Regional Institutions and Institutional Change

4. Conclusion

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1. Introduction: Asian Regional Integration Research and Institutional Integration

1.1 European Regional Integration: de jure integration, institutional integration

1.2 East Asian Integration:de fact integration, functional integration

informality, consensus and open regional- ism (Solingen, 2005)

1.3 Recent Studies: focus on Complex Institutional Development: Institutional Approach

Political and economic cooperation system: ECSC, EEC, EC, and EU

Military and security cooperation system: NATO

Social norms and image cooperation system: CE

1.4 Main purpose of today’s keynote Asian environmental cooperation system from a view point of Institutional

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2. Institutional theory approach and East Asian regional institutions

2.1 Institutional theory approaches and institutional integration

Hall and Taylor (1996)Hall and Taylor (1996)

(1) Rational Choice Institutionalism

　　 Douglass North, Oliver Williamson

(2) Historical Institutionalism

　　 Robert Putnam, Paul Pierson

(3) Sociological Institutionalism

　　 W. Richard Scott

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2. Institutional theory approach and East Asian regional institutions

2.2 Institutional formation and path dependence Brian Arthur’s rational choice institutionalism

Paul Pierson’s historical institutionalism

“increasing returns” , “positive feedback”

“self-reinforcement”, “lock-in”

QWERTY keyboard layout by Paul David (1985)

“once a nation or region is on a certain trajectory, the costs of switching trajectories is extremely high” (Pierson, 2004)

“when there are increasing returns, an actor has a strong incentive to stick to one option, and furthermore, there is a strong incentive to continue on a given path that leads from this option” (Pierson, 2004).

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2.2 East Asian Environmental Institutions and Path Dependence

EANET: Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia

13 countries ← Japan, LRTAP(1979-) 1992 UNCED,

1st Intergovernmental meeting (IG1) in 1998

full scale operation in 2001

efforts were made to equalize the burden of EANET finances (UN financial contributions, implemented from 2005)

organizational activities and operations were documented, a document titled “Instrument” (not a convention) was adopted at the 2010 IG13 in Niigata and processes such as having documents signed by the representative of the Environment Ministry of each country were undertaken

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2.2 East Asian Environmental Institutions and Path Dependence

NEASPEC: North-East Asian Sub-regional Program for Environmental Cooperation: 6 countries

← South Korea, 1992 UNCED, Creation in 1993

TEMM: Tripartite Environmental Ministers Meeting: CJK

← South Korea, 1998 1st Meeting

NOWPAP: Northwest Pacific Action Plan,1989/1994

APT-EMM: ASEAN+3 Environmental Ministers Meeting,

2002 1s Meeting

EAS-EMM: East Asian Summit Environmental Ministers

Meeting, 2008 1st Meeting

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2.2 East Asian Environmental Institutions and Path Dependence

The Path Dependence that governs the subsequent path of EANET, such as dependence on Japan in terms of organizational structure and monitoring/ information exchange in terms of organizational function, was formed based on 1998/2001. At the same time, the social capacity for environmental management of the participating countries other than Japan was formed by the transfer of advanced environmental technologies from Japan, and it is thought that the formation of such capacities served as a self-reinforcement mechanism for EANET, which has continued for over 10 years to date.

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2.3 Causes of Path Dependence in EANET

1. Regional Characteristics of Pollution

2. Critical Juncture in 1993/1998/2001

3. Lack of Epistemic Community

4. Lack of Leadership

5. Overlapping/ Fragmentation of Institutions

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3. Formation of Asian regional institutions and institutional change

3.1 The institutional change theory of Mahoney and Thelen (2010)

(1)  Displacement: abolish old institutions and introduce new institutions.

(2)  Layering: introduce new institutions on top of old institutions.

(3)  Drift: The impact and effects of existing institutions change according to environmental changes.

(4)  Conversion: Give existing institutions new roles through strategic redefinition.

3.2 Institutional change theory and Asian regional institutions

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3.1 Institutional change theory and Asian regional institutions

Development of ASEAN and the “institutional conversion” theory

Formation of APT and EAS and the “institutional layering” theory

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3.1 Institutional change theory and Asian regional institutions

In 1997, ASEAN, which was established in an informal manner in 1967, adopted the “ASEAN Vision 2020” which sets forth a goal for the establishment of an ASEAN community in 2020. Furthermore, taking the step forward towards the formation of a formal regional community institution through the creation of a Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (second Bali Declaration) (in 2003) regarding the establishment of the ASEAN Community (Economic Community, Security Community and Socio-Cultural Community) and the adoption of the ASEAN Charter (in 2006) was a strategic redefinition of the existing ASEAN institution. Such development of ASEAN can be considered to be a case of institutional conversion.

In addition, the formation of multilayered East Asian regional cooperation systems since 1997 such as APEC, APT and EAS can be considered to be a case of institutional layering.

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4. Conclusion The future outlook for institutional integration in Asian

regional integration is thought to depend on how the mechanisms of institutional harmonization within and among fields are created, using the experiences of and learning from the formation and operation of various institutions in each of the cooperation fields as a basis. It is thought that such institutional integration of East Asian regional institutions will not necessarily converge into a single regional institution but will progress as a structuring of various institutions through the formation of key/complementary relationships involving various institutions. Furthermore, it is thought that Asian regional integration will not move forward without such structuring. 16