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Institutional ambiguity in implementing the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive

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  • van Leeuwen, Judith
  • van Hoof, Luc
  • van Tatenhove, Jan

Abstract

This article addresses the institutional ambiguity that exists between the European, Regional and Member State levels in the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The two main reasons for the emergence of institutional ambiguity are (1) the MSFD being a framework directive and (2) Member States are required to coordinate the implementation of the MFSD through the Regional Sea Conventions. Institutional ambiguity refers to the interference zone between different institutional settings that come together in new policy practices. New rules of the game are needed to bring these institutional settings together and the room to manoeuvre for the actors who negotiate these rules is a defining feature of institutional ambiguity. This article analyses the institutional ambiguity associated with MSFD implementation on the European and regional level for four European Seas: the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. The results indicate different levels of institutional ambiguity in each of the four regions, with the lowest level of ambiguity in the Baltic Sea and the highest in the Mediterranean Sea. Institutional ambiguity also exists on the European level, as coordination efforts have not resulted in clear directions for the implementation of the MSFD as yet. The level of institutional ambiguity is influenced by the relative number of EU member states bordering the particular sea and whether they consider implementation of the MFSD to be urgent. Member States bordering the Mediterranean and the Black Seas lack the support of Regional Sea Conventions in addition to receiving limited direction from the European level.

Suggested Citation

  • van Leeuwen, Judith & van Hoof, Luc & van Tatenhove, Jan, 2012. "Institutional ambiguity in implementing the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 636-643.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:marpol:v:36:y:2012:i:3:p:636-643
    DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2011.10.007
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bellas, Juan, 2014. "The implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Shortcomings and limitations from the Spanish point of view," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PA), pages 10-17.
    2. van Hoof, Luc, 2015. "Fisheries management, the ecosystem approach, regionalisation and the elephants in the room," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 20-26.
    3. Jouanneau, Charlène & Raakjær, Jesper, 2014. "‘The Hare and the Tortoise’: Lessons from Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea governance," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 331-338.
    4. Hendriksen, Astrid & Jouanneau, Charlène & Koss, Rebecca & Raakjaer, Jesper, 2014. "Fishing for opinions: Stakeholder views on MSFD implementation in European Seas," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 353-363.
    5. Freire-Gibb, Lucio Carlos & Koss, Rebecca & Margonski, Piotr & Papadopoulou, Nadia, 2014. "Governance strengths and weaknesses to implement the marine strategy framework directive in European waters," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 172-178.
    6. Minna Santaoja & Mikko Jauho, 2020. "Institutional Ambiguity and Ontological Politics in Integrating Sustainability into Finnish Dietary Guidelines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Raakjær, Jesper & van Tatenhove, Jan, 2014. "Marine governance of European Seas: Introduction," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 323-324.
    8. Norton, Daniel & Hynes, Stephen, 2018. "Estimating the Benefits of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Atlantic Member States: A Spatial Value Transfer Approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 82-94.
    9. Mario Sprovieri & Maurizio Ribera d’Alcalà & Patrick Roose & Aldo Drago & Karien De Cauwer & Federico Falcini & Inga Lips & Chiara Maggi & Aourell Mauffret & Jacek Tronczynski & Christina Zeri & Pier , 2021. "Science for Good Environmental Status: A European Joint Action to Support Marine Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-14, August.
    10. Röckmann, Christine & van Leeuwen, Judith & Goldsborough, David & Kraan, Marloes & Piet, Gerjan, 2015. "The interaction triangle as a tool for understanding stakeholder interactions in marine ecosystem based management," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 155-162.
    11. Brennan, Jonathon & Fitzsimmons, Clare & Gray, Tim & Raggatt, Laura, 2014. "EU marine strategy framework directive (MSFD) and marine spatial planning (MSP): Which is the more dominant and practicable contributor to maritime policy in the UK?," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 359-366.
    12. Norton, Daniel & Hynes, Stephen, 2015. "Spatial issues arising from a value transfer exercise for environmental quality of marine waters," 150th Seminar, October 22-23, 2015, Edinburgh, Scotland 212663, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. van Tatenhove, Jan & Raakjaer, Jesper & van Leeuwen, Judith & van Hoof, Luc, 2014. "Regional cooperation for European seas: Governance models in support of the implementation of the MSFD," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 364-372.
    14. van Leeuwen, Judith & Raakjaer, Jesper & van Hoof, Luc & van Tatenhove, Jan & Long, Ronán & Ounanian, Kristen, 2014. "Implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: A policy perspective on regulatory, institutional and stakeholder impediments to effective implementation," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 325-330.
    15. van Hoof, Luc & Hendriksen, Astrid & Bloomfield, Helen J., 2014. "Sometimes you cannot make it on your own; drivers and scenarios for regional cooperation in implementing the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 339-346.
    16. Kraan, Marloes & Hendriksen, Astrid & van Hoof, Luc & van Leeuwen, Judith & Jouanneau, Charlène, 2014. "How to dance? The tango of stakeholder involvement in marine governance research," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 347-352.
    17. Raakjaer, Jesper & Leeuwen, Judith van & Tatenhove, Jan van & Hadjimichael, Maria, 2014. "Ecosystem-based marine management in European regional seas calls for nested governance structures and coordination—A policy brief," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(PB), pages 373-381.

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