Taking the German container ports Hamburg and Bremen as examples, this book analyzes the impact of environmental policy making on a globalized industry. Competing for the leading position within the expanding European seaport and logistics system, both cities try to ensure constant infrastructure extension. Case studies illustrate the development of the regional port industries. The book investigates how political and economic actors pursue the adaptation to changing economic conditions. The main focus lies on the confrontations with actors representing environmental concerns. The study explores processes in various networks, in the public, and in political arenas at different political levels. Thereby, it combines questions of environmental policy research with regional development and the investigation of European multi-level relations. What can be said about the effect of European, national or regional governance structures aiming at the protection of environmental quality? While economic interests are less dominant than often claimed the existing institutional arrangement is characterized as insufficient to influence the ongoing spatial restructuring substantially. The Author: Winfried Osthorst, born 1964, is Professor for Political Management at the University of Applied Sciences, Bremen, He is working on regional development and environmentel policy with a special interest in coastal issues, Further areas of work are public sector reform and liberalisation.