Danish Paradiplomatic Activities in Brussels: Does the Danish Regional Governments have an independent influence on the EU Common Agricultural Policy or not? Case study on the Region of Central Denmark
Author
Hansen, Peter Kristoffer Rødbro
Term
4. term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-27
Pages
62
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, om danske regioner har en selvstændig indflydelse på EU’s fælles landbrugspolitik (CAP), med Region Midtjylland som casestudie. Med udgangspunkt i paradiplomati og multi-level governance beskrives, hvordan subnationale aktører engagerer sig i europæisk politik, og der gives et empirisk overblik over CAP og de vigtigste kanaler, som regioner kan bruge i Bruxelles (KL, Danske Regioner, regionale EU-kontorer, danske MEP’er, den danske ambassade samt europæiske organer som Regionsudvalget og CEMR), suppleret af grønne initiativer som Climatorium i Lemvig og GreenLab Skive. Metodisk anvendes en deduktiv, kvalitativ tilgang med et ekspertinterview og to hypoteser: at regionernes grønne dagsorden enten drives af overbevisninger (socialkonstruktivisme) eller af erhvervsmæssige interesser (rationel valg). Analysen afviser den første og bekræfter den anden: danske regioner – og særligt Region Midtjylland – arbejder for den grønne dagsorden primært af kommercielle grunde. Specialet konkluderer, at danske regioner gennem disse netværk kan udøve en uafhængig indflydelse på CAP.
This thesis examines whether Danish regional governments exert independent influence over the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), using the Central Denmark Region as a case study. Framed by paradiplomacy and multi-level governance, it outlines how sub-state actors engage in European policymaking and maps key Brussels pathways available to Danish regions (KL, Danske Regioner, regional EU offices, Danish MEPs, the Danish Embassy, and European bodies such as the Committee of the Regions and CEMR), alongside green initiatives like the Climatorium in Lemvig and GreenLab Skive. Methodologically, it adopts a deductive, qualitative design with an expert interview and tests two hypotheses: that the regions’ green agenda is driven either by beliefs (social constructivism) or by commercial interests (rational choice). The analysis rejects the belief-based hypothesis and supports the commercial-interest hypothesis: Danish regions—especially Central Denmark—promote the green agenda mainly for economic reasons. The thesis concludes that Danish regions can exercise independent influence on CAP through these Brussels networks.
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Keywords
Paradiplomati ; EU ; Lobbyism
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