Florence Metz Libri

The book explores the emerging issue of aquatic micropollutants—chemicals found in low concentrations in water bodies, stemming from sources like pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. As regulation of these micropollutants is relatively new, it has been overlooked in social sciences, despite its significant political relevance at national and international levels. The study investigates governance structures and steering mechanisms to address this knowledge gap, focusing on policy designs aimed at reducing micropollutants in the Rhine basin. It provides insights into governance frameworks, actor responsibilities, and policy processes related to micropollutants while situating the research within broader policy analysis theories. The work aims to enhance policy outcomes by improving understanding of policy designs and the social mechanisms influencing their selection. Notably, it addresses the lack of analytical tools for ex-ante assessment of policy designs’ effectiveness. The book introduces a novel index for quantifying policy comprehensiveness in tackling issues like water pollution. Additionally, it examines the social contexts conducive to comprehensive policy design, employing a network approach that considers actors' interdependencies. By linking policy network structures with comprehensive designs, the study evaluates the explanatory power of the network approach in policy change research.