The Theory and Practice of Environmental Policy Coordination at the Top Level : The NEPA System

本研究为美国1969年国家环境政策法案（NEPA）下的环境政策协调的理论与实践提供了一定的知识。自1970年以来，这种协调在所谓的NEPA制度下发生，其中CEQ（环境质量委员会）是位于联邦政府最高层的中央环境机构，在管理联邦机构之间的政策冲突方面发挥了重要作用。日本政府在最高层次上缺乏环境政策协调的体制机制，因此，把握《国家环境政策法》下环境质量指标的整体运作，对日本政府是有益的。

This research provides certain degree of knowledge in the theory and practice of environmental policy coordination under NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969) in the U.S.. Since 1970, such coordination has occurred under the so-called NEPA system, in which CEQ (Council on Environmental Quality), a central environmental agency located at the top level of the federal government, has played an important role in managing policy conflicts among federal agencies. To have a firm grasp of overall functioning of CEQ under NEPA will be useful for Japanese government which has no institutional mechanism for environmental policy coordination at its highest level.