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Downloading Europe: A Regional Comparison in the Uptake of the EU Forest Action Plan

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  • Filip Aggestam

    (Institute of Forest, Environmental and Natural Resource Policy, Department of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) and the European Forest Institute (EFI) Forest Policy Research Network, Feistmantelstrasse 4, Vienna 1180, Austria)

  • Helga Pülzl

    (Institute of Forest, Environmental and Natural Resource Policy, Department of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) and the European Forest Institute (EFI) Forest Policy Research Network, Feistmantelstrasse 4, Vienna 1180, Austria)

Abstract

The first EU Forest Strategy was adopted in 1998 to provide general guidelines for an EU forest policy designed to coordinate other EU forest-relevant policies. The implementation of the first strategy was done under the auspices of the EU Forest Action Plan, covering the period from 2007 to 2011. The Forest Action Plan was a tool that facilitated voluntary cooperation between EU Member States (no enforcement capabilities), with some coordinating actions being implemented by the European Commission. The reason for returning to the Forest Action Plan in this article is to provide further insight into how it was employed by EU Member States—in contrast to the majority of similar articles on the topic, which are primarily concerned with an examination of EU forest-relevant policies by either analyzing the impact of EU decision-making on forestry at the national level or studying EU Member States’ influence on the EU rather than how EU Member States actually react to EU strategies. This paper addresses this empirical gap and highlights the significant variations of the Europeanization effects on EU Member States when deciding upon and implementing a non-legally binding policy instrument when compared to legally binding policy instruments. Individual Member States exhibit varied strategies when implementing a soft policy instrument, as their respective decision spaces are substantially different, particularly when the costs and benefits of complying are not comparable to those of a legally binding instrument. These results highlight the need for a more nuanced and varied approach to the implementation of soft policy instruments by the EU, with the additional implementation strategies suggested in this article being presented to assist in meeting this need for variation.

Suggested Citation

  • Filip Aggestam & Helga Pülzl, 2020. "Downloading Europe: A Regional Comparison in the Uptake of the EU Forest Action Plan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:10:p:3999-:d:357714
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Treib, Oliver, . "Implementing and complying with EU governance outputs," Living Reviews in European Governance (LREG), Institute for European integration research (EIF).
    2. Kaeding, Michael, 2006. "Determinants of Transposition Delay in the European Union," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(3), pages 229-253, December.
    3. McDermott, Constance L. & Sotirov, Metodi, 2018. "A political economy of the European Union's timber regulation: Which member states would, should or could support and implement EU rules on the import of illegal wood?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 180-190.
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    Cited by:

    1. Beland Lindahl, Karin & Söderberg, Charlotta & Lukina, Natalia & Tebenkova, Daria & Pecurul, Mireia & Pülzl, Helga & Sotirov, Metodi & Widmark, Camilla, 2023. "Clash or concert in European forests? Integration and coherence of forest ecosystem service–related national policies," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    2. Vito Imbrenda & Rosa Coluzzi & Francesca Mariani & Bogdana Nosova & Eva Cudlinova & Rosanna Salvia & Giovanni Quaranta & Luca Salvati & Maria Lanfredi, 2023. "Working in (Slow) Progress: Socio-Environmental and Economic Dynamics in the Forestry Sector and the Contribution to Sustainable Development in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-21, June.
    3. Winkel, Georg & Lovrić, Marko & Muys, Bart & Katila, Pia & Lundhede, Thomas & Pecurul, Mireia & Pettenella, Davide & Pipart, Nathalie & Plieninger, Tobias & Prokofieva, Irina & Parra, Constanza & Pülz, 2022. "Governing Europe's forests for multiple ecosystem services: Opportunities, challenges, and policy options," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    4. Elomina, Jerbelle & Pülzl, Helga, 2021. "How are forests framed? An analysis of EU forest policy," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).

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