Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Hypocrisy as a crisis response? Assessing changes in talk, decisions, and actions of the European Commission in EU environmental policy

Bibliographic Data

ID10391351
AuthorsChristoph Knill (0000-0002-8562-2102, Department of Political Science Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universitat Munich Munich Germany), Yves Steinebach (0000-0001-7453-7204, Department of Political Science Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universitat Munich Munich Germany, corresponding author), Xavier Fernández-I-Marín (0000-0002-9522-8870, Department of Political Science Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universitat Munich Munich Germany)
Year2018
Volume98
Issue2
Pages363-377
Publication date2018-08-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Administration (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3298 • E-ISSN: 1467-9299
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/padm.12542
OpenAlexW2885858080
LanguageEN
Citations received23
References cited47

In this article, we assess the changing role of the European Commission in EU environmental policy. In line with organizational theory, we expect organizational hypocrisy, namely a decoupling of talk, decisions, and actions, to characterize the Commission's behaviour in the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis. We analyse the extent to which the Commission (1) promotes environmental matters and concepts in press releases and public statements; (2) proposes new and stricter environmental policy changes; and (3) takes action against member states in cases of non‐compliance between the years 2000 and 2016. Our empirical analysis reveals that the Commission has indeed moved towards a pattern of hypocritical policy entrepreneurship in the post‐crisis period. We argue that the decoupling of talk, decision, and action allows the European Commission to keep up its reputation as an environmental policy entrepreneur while, at the same, satisfying member states’ preference for economic recovery and less environmental regulation

Action (physics · Business · Commission · Economic policy · Economics · European commission · European union · Hypocrisy · Political science · Public economics · Reputation · European Union Policy and Governance · Finance · Law · Policy Transfer and Learning · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies

  • Analysing European Union circular economy policies

    Open Access•Martin Calisto Friant, Walter J V Vermeulen et al.•Sustainable Production and…•2021

  • Policy Accumulation and the Democratic Responsiveness Trap

    Open Access•Christian Adam, Steffen Hurka et al.•Policy Accumulation and the…•2019

  • Interactions in a politicised Europe

    Open Access•Puck Overhaart, Ellen Mastenbroek•Journal of European Public Policy•2026

  • Unreachable, Inescapable

    Open Access•Asha Herten-Crabb•JCMS Journal of Common Market…•2026

  • Differentiated or integrated? The influence of European Administrative Networks on differentiated implementation of EU environmental policy

    Ana Carolina Soares•West European Politics•2023

  • Multilevel reinforcing dynamics

    Open Access•Katharina Rietig•Public Administration•2020

  • Dismantling, disintegration or continuing stealthy integration in European Union environmental policy

    Open Access•Andrea Lenschow, Charlotte Burns et al.•Public Administration•2020

  • Understanding the European Green Deal

    Open Access•Ekaterina Domorenok, Paolo Graziano•European Policy Analysis•2023

  • Towards a socially fair green transition in the EU? An analysis of the Just Transition Fund using the Multiple Streams Framework

    Open Access•Anna Kyriazi, Joan Miró•Comparative European Politics•2022

  • The EU Dual-use Regulation, cyber-surveillance and human rights

    Open Access•Mark Bromley•Defence Studies•2023

  • To Yield or Shield? Comparing International Public Administrations’ Responses to Member States’ Policy Contestation

    Tim Heinkelmann‐wild, Vytautas Jankauskas•Journal of Comparative Policy…•2020

  • The Political Economy of Policy Vacuums

    Leonard Seabrooke, Eleni Tsingou et al.•New Political Economy•2019

  • The Anti-Mercenary Norm and United Nations’ Use of Private Military and Security Companies

    Oldrich Bures, Eugenio Cusumano•International Peacekeeping•2021

  • The EU’s different faces in climate diplomacy

    Open Access•Feyyaz Barış Çelik•Journal of European Integration•2022

  • The Covid-19 crisis

    Open Access•Claire Dupont, Sebastian Oberthür et al.•Journal of European Integration•2020

  • The European Parliament and Fridays for Future

    Jan Pollex, Lars E Berker•Journal of European Integration•2024

  • When talk meets actions – return to Commission leadership in EU environmental policy-making with the European Green Deal

    Open Access•Jan Pollex, Andrea Lenschow•Journal of European Public Policy•2025

  • Crises as driver of policy accumulation

    Open Access•Christoph Knill, Yves Steinebach•Regulation & Governance•2022

  • Systemic Dynamics of Policy Change

    Open Access•Xavier Fernández-I-Marín, Steffen Hurka et al.•Policy Studies Journal•2022

  • Are EU Institutions Still Green Actors? An Empirical Study of Green Public Procurement

    Open Access•Diego Badell, Jordi Rosell•JCMS Journal of Common Market…•2021

  • Crisis, Climate Change and Comitology

    Open Access•Charlotte Burns, Paul Tobin•JCMS Journal of Common Market…•2020

  • From the Green to the Just Transition

    Open Access•Gianmarco Fifi, Xinchuchu Gao•JCMS Journal of Common Market…•2026

  • Compliance with EU environmental law. The iceberg is melting

    Tanja A Börzel, Aron Buzogány•Environmental Politics•2019

  • The Normalization of the European Commission

    Anchrit Wille•The Normalization Of The European…•2013

  • Regulating Europe

    Giandomenico Majone•Regulating Europe•2002

  • The Institutionalization of Europe

    Alec Stone Sweet, Wayne Sandholtz et al.•The institutionalization of Europe•2001

  • The Implementation of EU Environmental Policy; A Policy Problem without a Political Solution?

    Open Access•Andrew J Jordan, A Jordan•Environment and Planning C…•1999

  • Agendas, alternatives, and public policies

    John W Kingdon•Agendas, alternatives, and public…•1995

  • Good Governance and Institutional Change

    Open Access•Michelle Cini•Journal of Contemporary European…•2015

  • The Dependent Variable Problem in the Study of Policy Change

    Michael Howlett, Benjamin Cashore•Journal of Comparative Policy…•2009

  • Cross-Border Regions in Europe

    Open Access•Markus Perkmann•European Urban and Regional Studies•2003

  • The Reforming Organization

    J W Meyer, Nils Brunsson et al.•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•1994

  • Do Member States Make European Policies Work? Analysing the Eu Transposition Deficit

    Open Access•Markus Haverland, M H Romeijn et al.•Public Administration•2007

  • An Information Processing Perspective on Decision Making in the European Union

    Open Access•Falk Daviter•Public Administration•2013

  • Evasion, Reinterpretation and Decoupling

    Christina Boswell•West European Politics•2008

  • Leaking, leak prevention, and decoupling in public administrations

    Open Access•Ronny Patz•West European Politics•2017

  • Managing the house

    H Kassim, Sara Connolly et al.•Journal of European Public Policy•2017

  • Does the European Union have a reverse gear? Policy dismantling in a hyperconsensual polity

    Open Access•Viviane Gravey, Andrew J Jordan et al.•Journal of European Public Policy•2016

  • Larger and more law abiding? The impact of enlargement on compliance in the European Union

    Tanja A Börzel, Ulrich Sedelmeier•Journal of European Public Policy•2017

  • Still an entrepreneur? The changing role of the European Commission in EU environmental policy-making

    Yves Steinebach, Christoph Knill•Journal of European Public Policy•2017

  • Administrative styles in the European Commission and the OSCE Secretariat

    Christoph Knill, Steffen Eckhard et al.•Journal of European Public Policy•2016

  • Competing frames in the European Commission - the case of the defence industry and equipment issue

    Ulrika Mörth•Journal of European Public Policy•2000

  • The Impact of the Economic Crisis on European Union Environmental Policy

    Open Access•Charlotte Burns, Paul Tobin•JCMS Journal of Common Market…•2016

  • Member State Responses to Europeanization

    Open Access•Tanja A Börzel•JCMS Journal of Common Market…•2002

  • A post-austerity European Commission

    Aleksandra Čavoški•Environmental Politics•2015

  • Policy Networks and Innovation Diffusion

    Michael Mintrom, Sandra Vergari•The Journal of Politics•1998

  • Regulatory policy outputs and impacts

    Open Access•Christoph Knill, Kai Schulze et al.•Regulation & Governance•2012

  • Multiple Crises and Policy Dismantling in Spain

    Open Access•Jacint Jordana•Political Studies Review•2014

  • Policy Entrepreneurship and Policy Change

    Open Access•Michael Mintrom, Phillipa Norman•Policy Studies Journal•2009

  • Governance, the State, and the Market

    Open Access•Alberta Sbragia, Alberta M Sbragia•Governance•2000

  • Is big brother watching? Commission oversight of the national implementation of EU directives

    Open Access•Bernard Steunenberg•European Union Politics•2010

  • Participation Through Law Enforcement

    Open Access•Tanja A Börzel•Comparative Political Studies•2006

  • Policy Entrepreneurs and the Diffusion of Innovation

    Michael Mintrom•American Journal of Political…•1997

  • Policy Paradigms, Social Learning, and the State

    Peter A Hall•Comparative Politics•1993

  • The Iron Cage Revisited

    P Dimaggio, Paul J Dimaggio et al.•American Sociological Review•1983

  • New' Instruments of Environmental Governance

    Andrew J Jordan, Andrew Jordan et al.•Environmental Politics•2003

  • Compliance with EU environmental law. The iceberg is melting

    Tanja A Börzel, Aron Buzogány•Environmental Politics•2019

  • EU climate policy after the crisis

    Jakob Skovgaard•Environmental Politics•2014

Unique citing works23
Citations per year3,29
Citation span2019 - 2026 (8)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 23
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae