IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v34y2026is1p1362-1378.html

How Does the European Union's Pluralistic Institutional System Influence Policy Change? The Case of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation‐Free Products

Author

Listed:
  • Laila Berning
  • Rachael D. Garrett
  • Metodi Sotirov

Abstract

How did policy actors use the European Union's (EU's) political system to achieve policy changes in regulating the sustainability and legality of transnational forest and agricultural commodity supply chains? We qualitatively analysed the development of the new EU Regulation on Deforestation‐free products (EUDR) from actor‐centred and institutionalist perspectives. Data sources include policy documents, interviews and participant observation. Our results show that diverse demand‐ and supply‐side public and private actors across national and supranational levels used the openness and consensus requirements of the EU's political system to influence the EUDR. No actor succeeded in fully institutionalising their beliefs and interests in the final compromise text. EU institutions codified ambitious socio‐environmental normative standards in the EUDR under the lead of environmentally‐oriented decision‐makers. They mobilised multiple power resources and exploited multiple policy change pathways. Our findings highlight challenges and successes of adopting extraterritorial sustainability regulations in pluralistic political systems such as the EU.

Suggested Citation

  • Laila Berning & Rachael D. Garrett & Metodi Sotirov, 2026. "How Does the European Union's Pluralistic Institutional System Influence Policy Change? The Case of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation‐Free Products," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(S1), pages 1362-1378, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:34:y:2026:i:s1:p:1362-1378
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.70236
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70236
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.70236?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Berning, Laila & Sotirov, Metodi, 2024. "The coalitional politics of the European Union Regulation on deforestation-free products," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Andrew Moravcsik, 1993. "Preferences and Power in the European Community: A Liberal Intergovernmentalist Approach," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 473-524, December.
    3. Cesar de Oliveira, Susan E.M. & Nakagawa, Louise & Lopes, Gabriela Russo & Visentin, Jaqueline C. & Couto, Matheus & Silva, Daniel E. & d'Albertas, Francisco & Pavani, Bruna F. & Loyola, Rafael & West, 2024. "The European Union and United Kingdom's deforestation-free supply chains regulations: Implications for Brazil," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Maria‐Therese Gustafsson & Almut Schilling‐Vacaflor & Andrea Lenschow, 2023. "The politics of supply chain regulations: Towards foreign corporate accountability in the area of human rights and the environment?," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), pages 853-869, October.
    5. Benjamin Saunders & Julius Sim & Tom Kingstone & Shula Baker & Jackie Waterfield & Bernadette Bartlam & Heather Burroughs & Clare Jinks, 2018. "Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1893-1907, July.
    6. Laila Berning & Metodi Sotirov, 2023. "Hardening corporate accountability in commodity supply chains under the European Union Deforestation Regulation," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), pages 870-890, October.
    7. Metodi Sotirov & Georg Winkel, 2016. "Toward a cognitive theory of shifting coalitions and policy change: linking the advocacy coalition framework and cultural theory," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 49(2), pages 125-154, June.
    8. Jonathan Zeitlin & Christine Overdevest, 2021. "Experimentalist interactions: Joining up the transnational timber legality regime," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(3), pages 686-708, July.
    9. Cosimo, Luiz Henrique Elias & Masiero, Mauro & Mammadova, Aynur & Pettenella, Davide, 2024. "Voluntary sustainability standards to cope with the new European Union regulation on deforestation-free products: A gap analysis," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    10. Mairon G. Bastos Lima & Almut Schilling‐Vacaflor, 2024. "Supply chain divergence challenges a ‘Brussels effect’ from Europe's human rights and environmental due diligence laws," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 15(2), pages 260-275, May.
    11. Muradian, Roldan & Cahyafitri, Raras & Ferrando, Tomaso & Grottera, Carolina & Jardim-Wanderley, Luiz & Krause, Torsten & Kurniawan, Nanang I. & Loft, Lasse & Nurshafira, Tadzkia & Prabawati-Suwito, D, 2025. "Will the EU deforestation-free products regulation (EUDR) reduce tropical forest loss? Insights from three producer countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    12. Pralle, Sarah B., 2003. "Venue Shopping, Political Strategy, and Policy Change: The Internationalization of Canadian Forest Advocacy," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 233-260, September.
    13. Scharpf, Fritz Wilhelm, 2009. "Legitimacy in the multilevel European polity," MPIfG Working Paper 09/1, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    14. Tsebelis, George, 1995. "Decision Making in Political Systems: Veto Players in Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, Multicameralism and Multipartyism," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(3), pages 289-325, July.
    15. Gary Marks & Liesbet Hooghe & Kermit Blank, 1996. "European Integration from the 1980s: State‐Centric v. Multi‐level Governance," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 341-378, September.
    16. Gracia Marín Durán & Joanne Scott, 2022. "Regulating Trade in Forest-Risk Commodities: Two Cheers for the European Union," Journal of Environmental Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 34(2), pages 245-267.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muradian, Roldan & May, Peter, 2026. "Innovations and Dilemmas in Global Forest Governance - The Tortuous Pathway toward a Deforestation-free World: Introduction to the Special Issue," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    2. Muradian, Roldan & Cahyafitri, Raras & Ferrando, Tomaso & Grottera, Carolina & Jardim-Wanderley, Luiz & Krause, Torsten & Kurniawan, Nanang I. & Loft, Lasse & Nurshafira, Tadzkia & Prabawati-Suwito, D, 2025. "Will the EU deforestation-free products regulation (EUDR) reduce tropical forest loss? Insights from three producer countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    3. Cosimo, Luiz Henrique Elias & Masiero, Mauro & Mammadova, Aynur & Pettenella, Davide, 2024. "Voluntary sustainability standards to cope with the new European Union regulation on deforestation-free products: A gap analysis," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    4. Gallemore, Caleb & Berecha, Gezahegn & Eneyew, Adugna & Grabs, Janina & Jespersen, Kristjan & Kasongi, N.’gwinamila & Mamuye, Melkamu & Maskell, Gina & Mathe, Annkathrin & Mwalutolo, Daniel & Niehues,, 2025. "Avoiding Access Inequity Due to classification errors in zero-deforestation value chains: Coffee and the European union deforestation regulation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    5. Berning, Laila & Sotirov, Metodi, 2024. "The coalitional politics of the European Union Regulation on deforestation-free products," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    6. Barbosa de Andrade Aragão, Rafaela & Bastos Lima, Mairon G. & Burns, Georgette Leah & Ross, Helen & Biggs, Duan, 2024. "‘Greenlash’ and reactionary stakeholders in environmental governance: An analysis of soy farmers against zero deforestation in Brazil," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    7. Beyers, Jan, 1998. "Where does supranationalism come from? Ideas floating through the working groups of the Council of the European Union," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 2, November.
    8. Thomas König & Bernd Luig, 2014. "Ministerial gatekeeping and parliamentary involvement in the implementation process of EU directives," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 160(3), pages 501-519, September.
    9. Susanne K. Schmidt, 2000. "Only an Agenda Setter?," European Union Politics, , vol. 1(1), pages 37-61, February.
    10. Dhiyathad Prateeppornnarong, 2020. "Towards sustainable integration: The role of government in facilitating ASEAN integration through education cooperation," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 23(4), pages 352-364, December.
    11. Jean‐Michel Glachant, 2008. "La Deregulation Des Industries De Reseaux Comme Politique Institutionnelle De Creation De Marches Et De Mecanismes De Gouvernance," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 79(3‐4), pages 487-525, September.
    12. Sotirov, Metodi & Memmler, Michael, 2012. "The Advocacy Coalition Framework in natural resource policy studies — Recent experiences and further prospects," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 51-64.
    13. Partzsch, Lena, 2025. "Hardening sustainability: Supply chain laws complement cocoa and coffee certifications," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    14. Valentin Guye & Patrick Meyfroidt & Erasmus Zu Ermgassen, 2026. "The Need for Improved Public Transparency in the Era of Due Diligence Regulations," Post-Print hal-05562655, HAL.
    15. Vaccarezza Sevilla, Matías & Pedreira Lucchese, Gino & Krause, Torsten & Garcia Alarcon, Gisele, 2025. "From pastures to plates: The thorny path to achieving deforestation-free cattle from Brazil to European consumers," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    16. Mayntz, Renate (ed.), 2002. "Akteure – Mechanismen – Modelle: Zur Theoriefähigkeit makro-sozialer Analysen," Schriften aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Köln, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, volume 42, number 42.
    17. Hristina RUNCHEVA TASEV & Milena APOSTOLOVSKA-STEPANOSKA & Leposava OGNJANOSKA, 2020. "Union based on the rule of law: the Court of Justice of the European Union and the (future of) European integration," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 11, pages 396-426, December.
    18. Ben Rosamond, 2016. "Field of Dreams: the Discursive Construction of EU Studies, Intellectual Dissidence and the Practice of ‘Normal Science’," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 19-36, January.
    19. Ezeofor, Vivian Kaife, 2025. "Trade, Climate, and Inequality: A Critical Reflection on Environmental Governance and Global Justice," SocArXiv mfjcd_v1, Center for Open Science.
    20. Gerli, Paolo & Marco, Julio Navio & Whalley, Jason, 2019. "Does the multilevel governance of state aid encourage broadband diffusion? Evidence from three European countries," 30th European Regional ITS Conference, Helsinki 2019 205179, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:34:y:2026:i:s1:p:1362-1378. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.