Access to climate policy-making in the European Union and in Norway

Abstract

Business and environmental organisations' perceived access to climate policy-making is compared in the multi-level, pluralist system of the EU and in Norway, a parliamentary system with strong corporatist traditions. The extent to which the interest groups consider gaining access to climate policy-making to be demanding of resources is compared in two different political systems. It is concluded that business organisations consider their access to climate policy-making both at the EU level and in Norway as better than environmental organisations do, and that interest groups at the EU level consider it to be more resource-demanding to gain access than interest groups seeking access in Norway do.

Keywords:

• climate policy-making
• access
• interest groups
• EU
• Norway

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Jon Hovi and three anonymous referees for helpful comments and the interviewees for contributing to the study. The author is solely responsible for the interpretations and conclusions made in this article. Financial assistance by The Norwegian Research Council (SAMSTEMT/RENERGI) is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

 1. This section is partly based on Gullberg (2009a).

 2. An economy with low greenhouse gas emissions, in particular CO2, and hence to a much lesser extent than today based on fossil fuels.

 3. Thus, I disagree with Nordby (2000) who argues that the concept of lobbying loses its meaning if a broad definition is applied.

 4. Author's interview with Norwegian interest groups autumn 2009 (see Gullberg and Skodvin 2011).

 5. I did not succeed in getting interviews with EURELECTRIC, the association for the electricity industry in Europe, or ACEA, representing the car producers.

 6. Several of the Norwegian business and environmental organisations are also members of the European umbrella organisations.

 7. Author's interviews with Nick Campbell, UNICE, Brussels, November 2005; Margot Loudon, Eurogas, phone call, September 2008; Wim Philippa, ERT, Brussels, November 2005; Peter Tjan, EUROPIA, Brussels, November 2005.

 8. Renamed Business Europe in January 2007.

 9. Author's interview with Nick Campbell, UNICE, Brussels, November 2005.

10. Author's interview with Wim Philippa, ERT, Brussels, November 2005.

11. Author's interviews with Nick Campbell, UNICE, Brussels, November 2005; Wim Philippa, ERT, Brussels, November 2005.

12. Author's interviews with Nick Campbell, UNICE, Brussels, November 2005; Wim Philippa, ERT, Brussels, November 2005.

13. Phone call with Margot Loudon, Eurogas, September 2008.

14. Author's interviews with Matthias Duwe, CAN Europe, Brussels, November 2005; Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU, Brussels, November 2005; Stephan Singer, WWF EPO, Brussels, November 2006; Jeroen Verhoeven, FoEE, Brussels, November 2006.

15. Author's interview with Stephan Singer, WWF EPO, Brussels, November 2006.

16. Author's interviews with Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU, Brussels, November 2005; Stephan Singer, WWF EPO, Brussels, November 2006.

17. Author's interview with Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU, Brussels, November 2005.

18. Author's interviews with Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU, Brussels, November 2005; Stephan Singer, WWF EPO, Brussels, November 2006.

19. Author's interview with Stephan Singer, WWF EPO, Brussels, November 2006.

20. Author's interviews with Matthias Duwe, CAN Europe, Brussels, November 2005; Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU, Brussels, November 2005; Jeroen Verhoeven, FoEE, Brussels, November 2006.

21. Author's interviews with Matthias Duwe, CAN Europe, Brussels, November 2005; Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU, Brussels, November 2005.

22. Author's interview with Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU, Brussels, November 2005.

23. Author's interview with Stephan Singer, WWF EPO, Brussels, November 2006.

24. Author's interviews with Dorette Corbey, MEP, the Socialist Group, Brussels, November 2006; Jeroen Verhoeven, FoEE, Brussels, November 2006.

25. Author's interviews with Dorette Corbey, MEP, the Socialist Group, Brussels, November 2006; Pierre Schellekens, Cabinet of Stavros Dimas, DG Environment, Brussels, November 2006.

26. Author's interviews with Dorette Corbey, MEP, the Socialist Group, Brussels, November 2006; Pierre Schellekens, Cabinet of Stavros Dimas, DG Environment, Brussels, November 2006.

27. Author's interviews with Dorette Corbey, MEP, the Socialist Group, Brussels, November 2006; Pierre Schellekens, Cabinet of Stavros Dimas, DG Environment, Brussels, November 2006; Stefaan Vergote, DG Environment, Brussels, November 2005.

28. Author's interviews with Dorette Corbey, MEP, the Socialist Group, Brussels, November 2006; Pierre Schellekens, Cabinet of Stavros Dimas, DG Environment, Brussels, November 2006; Stefaan Vergote, DG Environment, Brussels, November 2005.

29. Author's interviews with Ronald Fagernes, Federation of Norwegian Industries, Oslo, February 2006; Geir Høibye, NHO, Oslo, February 2006; Per Terje Vold, OLF, Oslo, February 2006.

30. Author's interviews with Ronald Fagernes, Federation of Norwegian Industries, Oslo, February 2006; Geir Høibye, NHO, Oslo, February 2006; Per Terje Vold, OLF, Oslo, February 2006.

31. Author's interviews with Ronald Fagernes, Federation of Norwegian Industries, Oslo, February 2006; Geir Høibye, NHO, Oslo, February 2006; Per Terje Vold, OLF, Oslo, February 2006.

32. Author's interviews with Elin Lerum Boasson, NU, Oslo, December 2005; Lars Haltbrekken, FoE, Oslo, February 2006; Frederic Hauge, Bellona, Oslo, February 2006.

33. Author's interviews with Elin Lerum Boasson, NU, Oslo, December 2005; Lars Haltbrekken, FoE, Oslo, February 2006; Frederic Hauge, Bellona, Oslo, February 2006.

34. Author's interviews with Elin Lerum Boasson, NU, Oslo, December 2005; Lars Haltbrekken, FoE, Oslo, February 2006.

35. Author's interviews with Elin Lerum Boasson, NU, Oslo, December 2005; Lars Haltbrekken, FoE, Oslo, February 2006; Frederic Hauge, Bellona, Oslo, February 2006.

36. Author's interviews with Elin Lerum Boasson, NU, Oslo, December 2005; Lars Haltbrekken, FoE, Oslo, February 2006; Frederic Hauge, Bellona, Oslo, February 2006.

37. Author's interview with Paal Frisvold, Bellona Europe, Brussels, November 2006.

38. Author's interview with Elin Lerum Boasson, NU, Oslo, December 2005.

39. Author's interviews with Ronald Fagernes, Federation of Norwegian Industries, Oslo, February 2006; Geir Høibye, NHO, Oslo, February 2006; Ivar Kristiansen, MP, Conservative Party, Oslo, February 2006; Peter Tjan, EUROPIA, Brussels, November 2005; Per Terje Vold, OLF, Oslo, February 2006.

40. Author's interview with Claude Turmes, MEP, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Brussels, November 2005.