Jordan et al. - Understanding the Paradoxes

Question 1

What is a joint decision trap and what can it cumulate in?

Answer 1

joint decision trap: the more levels (veto points) there are the more likely is a policy blocked, which can result in a policy grid lock

Question 2

What is baton passing?

Answer 2

passing the leadership in climate change from one to the other

Question 3

What is the European puzzle here?

Answer 3

The EU as a whole expresses regularly a desire to lead, although it is a relative leaderless system of governance

Question 4

What are the 5 paradoxes of multi-level governing?

Answer 4

1. Leadership and Leaderlessness
2. External “Actorness” and Internal Diversity
3. Policy Harmonization and Differentiated Burden Sharing
4. Ambitious targets but constrained instrument choices
5. Escalating Ambition and Constrained Delivery Mechanisms

Question 5

1. Paradox: What does “Leadership and Leaderlessness” mean?

Answer 5

The EU as a whole expresses regularly a desire to lead, although it is a relative leaderless system of governance

Question 6

2. Paradox: What does “External ‘Actorness’ and Internal Diversity” mean?

Answer 6

EU struggles to act in a united manner because Member States persistently value their sovereign independence
BUT: when the EU eventually signs, it delivers 27 signatures

Question 7

3. Paradox: What does “Policy Harmonization and Differentiated Burden Sharing” mean?

Answer 7

internal “burden sharing” agreements whereby each member State is allocated a slightly different target (EU ETS)

Question 8

4. Paradox: What does “Ambitious targets but constrained instrument choices” mean?

Answer 8

relies heavily on a narrow sub-set of policy modes and instruments

Question 9

5. Paradox: What does “Escalating Ambition and Constrained Delivery Mechanisms” mean?

Answer 9

mismatch between ambitious policy intentions and weak implementing capacities

Question 10

What are challenges of the first paradox (“Leadership and Leaderlessness”)?

Answer 10

• Shifting from mitigation to adaptation might be very challenging because the 2°C target has provided framing of the problem that diverse leaders have found acceptable (long-term)
• A much greater focus on adaptation will alter the way in which the paradoxical features appear, e.g. which actors will lead the EU (long-term)

Question 11

What are challenges of the second paradox (“External ‘Actorness’ and Internal Diversity”)?

Answer 11

• foster more developing country support after Copenhagen (short-term)
• to realize its leadership ambitions the EU is forced to combine external actorness and internal diversity (short-term)
• Shifting from mitigation to adaptation might be very challenging because the 2°C target has provided the EU with an important identity in global negotiations (long-term)
• A much greater focus on adaptation will alter the way in which the paradoxical features appear, e.g. demand of vulnerable regions and sectors for financial transfers to cope with the predicted impacts, raising the issue of adaptation burden sharing(long-term)

Question 12

What are challenges of the third paradox (“Policy Harmonization and Differentiated Burden Sharing”)?

Answer 12

• internal debates in relation to the simultaneous desire for policy harmonization and differentiated burden sharing to deliver the 20% target (short-term)
• Progressive greening of the structural funds will require agreement of the Council in which new Member States are strongly represented (short-term)
• The richer states are very reluctant to open op the vexed issue of internal financial burden sharing (providing new and additional sources of finance) (short-term)
• Shifting from mitigation to adaptation might be very challenging because the 2°C target has implicitly been regarded as broadly achievable with the existing forms of burden sharing (long-term)

Question 13

What are challenges of the fourth paradox (“Ambitious targets but constrained instrument choices”)?

Answer 13

set of issues are unlikely to be amenable to the “one size fits all” regulatory approach followed for mitigation (short-term)

Question 14

What are challenges of the fifth paradox (“Escalating Ambition and Constrained Delivery Mechanisms”)?

Answer 14

• delivering 20% target: some member states are well on the way, while others are not ready to take the risk (short-term)
• accelerated mitigation ambitions would run up against constrained implementation (long-term)

Question 15

Should we declare the EU’s approach to governing a success?

Answer 15

1. In terms of setting ambitious targets and adopting common policies and measures, yes
2. If we examine policy outcomes, no