Effectiveness of International Environmental Regimes

Abstract: The Thesis analyzes the effecvtiveness of international environmental regimes. A case study of four of the most important river regimes in Germany - the Commissions for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR), Elbe (ICPE), Oder (ICPO) and Lake Constance (IGKB)- was conducted. The first part of the thesis explains the theoretical foundation the thesis rests upon. Neoliberal Institutionalism was the chosen theory, accompanied by aspects of regime and game theory. A definition of effectiveness was generated, taking into account a legal, a historical and a political perspective. The Thesis is a qualitative case study, which uses mainly sources from books, essays, newspapers and few in-depth interviews with people inside the Commissions. In the second part the International Commissions are analyzed. In the end the findings are compared to find out what constitutes an effective regime. All four regimes have made an significant impact though. An effective regime is - according to the findings of this thesis - characterized by different factors: a small number of actors, a strong legal basis for the daily work routines, similar background of the member states, favorable national conditions.