Impact of interest groups on EU climate policy

Abstract

The EU has been a leader in the international climate negotiations from the beginning. Nevertheless, it has not been able to implement strong policies and measures to actually reduce emissions. The strong discrepancy between declared targets and implemented action can be explained through analysis of the activities of interest groups. The article discusses the goals of the different groups and their influence on EU institutions and the climate policy process. It concludes that the institutional allocation of responsibilities favours strong targets. Concerning implementation, interests hostile to climate policy have a higher influence and thus are able to prevent strong instruments that might lead to real emission reduction. Even if instruments are accepted, budget allocations for implementation will fall far short of the needs unless another policy field with strong interests is involved. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.