In the historical process, with the transformations of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the commercial and industrial revolutions, the concepts of democracy and bureaucracy developed in Europe, and after the Second World War the democratic dimension was further strengthened. The establishment of the European Union stands as the symbol of this trajectory. However in the present day, developments such as Brexit have brought to the fore the democratic and bureaucratic governance crises within the European Union, particularly in the context of environmental policies. Within this framework, this study examines the history of EU environmental policies, their main features, the impact of these policies on the governance crisis and evaluates these dynamics from the perspective of the discipline of public policy. The findings indicate that EU environmental policies encompass a wide range of issues that can contribute to the governance crisis in various respects. At the same time, EU environmental policies, beyond being part of the current governance crisis, also represent one of the most significant opportunities for overcoming it. Enhancing participation in policy processes appears to be crucial for addressing these challenges.