TY - JOUR

T1 - Cross-level Information and Influence in Mandated Participatory Planning: Alternative Pathways to Sustainable Water Management in Germany’s Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive

AU - Koontz, Tomas M.

AU - Newig, Jens

PY - 2014/5

Y1 - 2014/5

N2 - State and non-state actors increasingly work across scales to address complex environmental problems. Prior studies of stakeholder participation have not fully examined how collaborative processes play out in multi-level policymaking. At the same time, multi-level governance studies do not adequately investigate the impacts of stakeholder participation. This study examines the cross-level interactions of influence and information in the participatory implementation of the European Union's Water Framework Directive. This directive is an example of mandated participatory planning, a relatively new approach that engages grassroots collaboration through a top-down structure with nested policy cycles. A case analysis of three collaborative planning units in the Land of Lower Saxony, within the federal governance structure of Germany, finds limited influence and information transmission across levels via formal planning and implementation processes. However, the collaborative efforts did yield alternative pathways for achieving substantive progress toward the directive's aims via learning, coordination, and buy-in among participants.

AB - State and non-state actors increasingly work across scales to address complex environmental problems. Prior studies of stakeholder participation have not fully examined how collaborative processes play out in multi-level policymaking. At the same time, multi-level governance studies do not adequately investigate the impacts of stakeholder participation. This study examines the cross-level interactions of influence and information in the participatory implementation of the European Union's Water Framework Directive. This directive is an example of mandated participatory planning, a relatively new approach that engages grassroots collaboration through a top-down structure with nested policy cycles. A case analysis of three collaborative planning units in the Land of Lower Saxony, within the federal governance structure of Germany, finds limited influence and information transmission across levels via formal planning and implementation processes. However, the collaborative efforts did yield alternative pathways for achieving substantive progress toward the directive's aims via learning, coordination, and buy-in among participants.

KW - Politics

KW - participatory governance

KW - mandated participatory planning

KW - policy implementation

KW - multi-level governance

KW - EU Water Framework Directive

KW - Gebietskooperationen

KW - EU Wasserrahmenrichtlinie

KW - EU Water Framework Directive

KW - Gebietskooperationen

KW - Mandated participatory planning

KW - Multi-level governance

KW - Participatory governance

KW - Policy implementation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893435778&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.01.005

DO - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.01.005

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 38

SP - 594

EP - 604

JO - Land Use Policy

JF - Land Use Policy

SN - 0264-8377

ER -