The European Union is now an important actor in the arena of global environmental politics. It is a signatory to important global treaties and a significant participant in global negotiations. Surprisingly, however, its role has been given very little scholarly attention. This paper explores how the Community constructed over time an international presence in the environmental field. It argues that the Community, while not a ‘state’ in the international arena, has undergone an institution-building process since 1973 which has garnered international recognition. CITES, the Vienna Convention, and UNCED are briefly discussed
