Theorizing third country agency in EU rule transfer: linking the EU Emission Trading System with Norway, Switzerland and Australia

Abstract:

The transfer of European Union (EU) policies has predominantly been studied as an EU-driven process. Transcending this EU-centric perspective, we provide a novel conceptualization of the role of third country actors as initiators and drivers, rather than as reactive receivers, of policy transfer. Based on our novel conceptual framework, we identify four strategies through which governments may overcome domestic veto-players and build stakeholder support. Specifically, third country governments may promote the transfer of EU policies by legitimizing policy choices, distributing the costs and benefits associated with a policy; rely on learning from the EU as a ‘resource’; and lock in a certain policy through an agreement with the EU. We demonstrate the empirical relevance of these strategies with respect to the transfer of the EU Emission Trading System to Norway, Switzerland and Australia.