Europe is sometimes credited with a polis,' but not a demos'. Political integration and economic globalisation cannot diminish local identity and social memories. This fascinating collection of national case studies shows why there will always be a local demos' located in ecology, economy, and society. But there will never be a transnational demos', precisely because locality is the basis for meaningful sustainability. Long may it triumph.' *Tim O'Riordan, CSERGE,* *University of East Anglia* 'The book offers a refreshing perspective on the diversity of Europe and at the same time, on the interdependence of the policies, economies, and societies of European countries. Going beyond the dichotomies of good and bad' and leaders and laggards' in environmental matters, the authors contribute to a different understanding of the North-South divide in the process of European integration.' *Angela Liberatore, European Commission,* *Directorate General for Research* This is a self-consciously revisionist volume, whose findings are theoretically significant, policy-relevant, and timely. Its insistence on bringing society back in,' its debunking of the notion of a Mediterranean syndrome,' its emphasis on developmental `leapfrogging' capacity of late-comers to emerge as leaders in contexts of late modernity, and its systematic attempt to reconceptualize the politics of Europeanization should be carefully listed to students and policy-makers concerned with collective action, Southern Europe, European integration, and environmental politics.' P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, University of Athens

Inhalt
EU policy-making, local action, and the emergence of institutions of collective action.- I The Europeanization of Environmental Politics.- 1 Sustainability as a Discursive Device for Mobilizing European Publies.- 2 Sustainability and the North/South Divide.- 3 Sustainable Development The Formal Or Informal Way?.- 4 Sustainability and Tourism.- II Sustainability from Above and from Below in Southern Europe. Comparative Studies and Country Studies on Collective Action in Southern Europe.- 5 Competing Claims in Local Environmental Conflicts in Southem Europe.- 6 Greek Rural Society and Sustainable Development.- 7 The Ecologist Movement in the Basque Country.- 8 Grassroots Environmental Action in Portugal (1974-1994).- III Sustainability Discourses and the Emergence of Institutions for Collective Action in Southern Europe.- 9 Sustainable Development and the Participation of Environmental NGOs in Spanish Environmental Policy.- 10 Is Spanish Environmental Policy Becoming More Participatory?.- 11 Interaction Between State and Non-state Actors in the Implementation of the CAP Agri-environmental Measures.- 12 Images of Sustainable Development in Italy.- 13 From Common Interest To Partnership.- 14 Non-Govemmental Groups and the State.- 15 Tourism Poliey and Sustainability in Italy, Spain and Greece.- Is There a Mediterranean Syndrome?.