The influence of non-governmental organisations on the creation of Natura 2000 during the European Policy process

The implementation of the EU habitats directive 92/43/EEC and the creation of the coherent network 'Natura 2000', presumably the most ambitious supranational initiative for nature conservation world-wide, is facing increasing difficulties. The process has been delayed beyond hope for the initial time-frame of an existing network being met by the year 2004. Political will and acceptance amongst national administrations and rural population is lacking. In the highly complex political structure of the European Union, presently in a stage of rapid change and development, new forms of political influence have evolved for non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This study, using social research methods (problem-focussed interviews and literature studies), examines the aims, strategies and activities of the involved political actors, and illustrates the shifting political influence of NGOs over the past 10 years with regards to the development and implementation of the directive. In the theoretical framework of multi-level governance, the political influence of the forest owner associations CEPF and BNFF, as well as the environmental NGOs WWF and Fern, together with other involved actors on the development and the implementation process of the EU habitats directive (HD) is described. Drawing on the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) approach of Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith, a strategic alliance between the Directorate General (DG) Environment and the WWF with the common goal of successfully establishing Natura 2000 can be ascertained. This coalition, however, was found to be opposed in the political subsystem of Natura 2000 by a less firmly established and less influential coalition of land users and DG Agriculture. The discussion highlights the relationship between the involvement level of interest groups in the political process and the acceptance level of legislation among their members, also with regard to the EU enlargement and the transposition of EU legislation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.