Corinne Belvèze: Building influence within the European Union. Mobilisation and the role of European local and regional authorities in legislation adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure (the ‘circular economy’ and ‘clean energy for all Europeans’ packages)

Do local and regional authorities have any influence on legislation adopted through the ordinary legislative procedure at European level?
Focusing on the energy and waste sectors and adopting a definition of influence as being taken into account in the texts, this thesis examines how these types of actors mobilise and attempt to shape the EU legislative process throughout its course (from its preparation within the European Commission through to the trilogues and the adoption of the texts). To this end, it draws on a methodology centred on ‘drafters’ and combining process tracing, attributed influence and textual analysis.

Our research shows that, depending on the circumstances, local authorities may have varying degrees of influence at all stages of the legislative process, and that they are not necessarily supported by the Commission or the Parliament as institutions. Whilst certain political groups, sections of the Commission or Member States appear more inclined to support them depending on the issue (with variations even within each sector), local authorities actually face two obstacles: legislators’ interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity and the objective of a competitive European internal market.

In situations where, despite these obstacles, local authorities are found to exert significant influence, we have identified certain formulations in legislative texts that make it possible to circumvent these obstacles; we have termed these ‘drafting workarounds’.

In our case studies, we highlight two types: ‘blended strategies’, which involve incorporating local authorities into a broader private sector category, and ‘invisibility strategies’, which avoid mentioning local authorities and their role. These ‘editorial strategies’ reveal a subtle and relatively discreet, yet very real, influence of local authorities within the texts.

Members of the jury

• Sabine Saurugger, Professor at Sciences Po Grenoble – PACTE (Rapporteur)
• Romain Pasquier, CNRS Research Director at Sciences Po Rennes – ARENES (Rapporteur)
• Anne-Cécile Douillet, Professor at the University of Lille – CERAPS (Examiner)
• Magali Dreyfus, Research Fellow at the University of Lille – CERAPS (Examiner)
• Charlotte Halpern, Research Fellow at Sciences Po Paris – CEE (Examiner)
• François-Mathieu Poupeau, CNRS Research Fellow at LATTS (PhD supervisor)