ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces theories and concepts relevant for the study of European Union (EU) environmental policy implementation. It assesses their usefulness and extracts relevant components which form part of the analytical framework. In essence, the map describes the implementation of EU environmental policies as a filtering process. The map seeks to combine all relevant aspects that shape EU environmental policy implementation into one comprehensive framework. The map highlights and distinguishes between three government layers - the EU, national and subnational layers. Many of the multi-level governance studies have focused on the interactions across government levels during the bargaining process and each government level's influence on EU policy decisions. The layers feature their own mixes of formal and informal determinants which either facilitate or hinder EU environmental policies reaching their implementation targets. The chapter concludes with a multi-layered implementation map which includes key insights from existing concepts and adds new elements to the study of EU environmental policy implementation.