The implementation of the EU biofuels policy in Spain and the UK: a case of contested Europeanization

Abstract

After more than a decade of the EU promoting biofuels – and with a reinforced regulatory framework – the perspectives for first-generation biofuels seem less optimistic than ever. What has gone wrong as to take biofuels from ‘heaven to hell’ in the spectrum of energy alternatives for a sustainable future? This article deals with the failure of the EU biofuels policy by employing the Europeanization framework, and the case studies of Spain and the UK. In this article we argue that the problems originated in the design of the EU policy degenerated into obstacles to its transposition at the national level, and finally led to the failure of the EU biofuels policy; that is, what can be seen as a case of contested Europeanization.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The corresponding author is grateful to the Secretaría de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación del Distrito Federal of the Mexico City Government for the financial support of the postdoctoral project “Renewable energy policies for a sustainable future: experiences of Europe and lessons for Mexico”. This article has been developed as part of this project. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

For investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.