The EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

2. EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY – ORIGINS AND DYNAMICS

A NEW IMPETUS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY – THE EU ETS

3. IN THEORY – POLICY NETWORKS AND MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE

3.1 MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE – AN APPROPRIATE ANALYTICAL TOOL?

3.2 A TYPOLOGY FOR POLICY NETWORK ANALYSIS

4. IN PRACTICE – WHICH ACTORS ARE INVOLVED?

4.1 GOVERNMENTAL ACTORS

4.1.1 THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

4.1.2 THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

4.1.3 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

4.1.4 INTERIM CONCLUSION

4.2 NON-STATE ACTORS

4.2.1 NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

4.2.2 BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

5. CONCLUSION

Research Objectives and Themes

This paper aims to investigate whether the development and establishment of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) can be explained through the theoretical lens of policy network analysis, particularly within the context of multi-level governance in the EU.

• The evolution and dynamics of European environmental policy.
• Theoretical foundations of multi-level governance and policy networks.
• A typology for assessing the influence of policy networks.
• The role and classification of governmental and non-state actors in the EU ETS.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the global response to climate change and establishes the research aim: to analyze the EU ETS through the lens of policy network analysis.

2. EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY – ORIGINS AND DYNAMICS: This section provides a historical overview of how European environmental policy evolved and how the EU ETS was initiated as a key instrument.

3. IN THEORY – POLICY NETWORKS AND MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework, defining the EU as a multi-level system and developing a typology based on membership and steering capacity to evaluate policy networks.

4. IN PRACTICE – WHICH ACTORS ARE INVOLVED?: This core section applies the theoretical typology to analyze key governmental and non-state actors involved in the development of the EU ETS.

5. CONCLUSION: This chapter summarizes findings, confirming that while the Commission remains the central driver, policy networks significantly influence European climate policy outcomes.

Keywords

EU Emissions Trading Scheme, EU ETS, Policy Network Analysis, Multi-level Governance, European Environmental Policy, European Commission, Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change, Governmental Actors, Non-state Actors, European Environmental Bureau, EEB, Business Associations, UNICE, Governance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core subject of this paper?

The paper examines the development of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and evaluates whether its creation can be understood using policy network analysis.

What are the primary themes discussed?

Key themes include the evolution of EU environmental policy, the transition to multi-level governance, the structure of policy networks, and the roles of institutional and private actors in climate policy.

What is the main research question?

The research asks whether the actors involved in the development of the EU ETS can be identified and classified using policy network analysis as a theoretical framework.

Which methodology is employed?

The author uses a qualitative approach, combining policy network models from Marsh & Rhodes and Andonova et al. to classify actors based on their membership stability and steering capacity.

What is addressed in the main part of the paper?

The main part focuses on classifying selected actors—including the Commission, Council, Parliament, NGOs like the EEB, and business associations like UNICE—according to the proposed typology.

Which keywords characterize this work?

The work is characterized by terms such as EU ETS, Policy Network Analysis, Multi-level Governance, Climate Change, and Environmental Policy.

How does the author categorize the European Commission?

The author views the Commission as the "first among equals" in the triumvirate of EU institutions, acting as the primary hub and agenda-setter in climate policy.

What distinction is made between NGOs?

The author distinguishes between "integrated policy communities" like the EEB, which have tighter institutional ties, and "loosely bound issue networks" like FIELD, which provide advice rather than collective mobilization.

What role does UNICE play according to the paper?

UNICE represents the main horizontal business organization and is classified as a tightly integrated policy community that actively pursues an agenda to protect corporate competitiveness.