Between Formal Coordination and Local Differentiation: the Implementation of the European Clean Air Policy

Air quality is an important policy area in which the European Union makes and implements policy. Air pollution does not draw on borders, while some pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are major causes of all kinds of health complaints. On the implementation of this policy by regional or local authorities, there are still important differences. Why do these happen? And why is variation in implementation often regarded as a problem? In this paper I argue that most of the European implementation literature follows a strong ‘top-down’ perspective, ignoring the importance of a ‘bottom-up’ perspective. A ‘top-down’ analysis emphasizes coordination and compliance, which often do not fit actual implementation. ‘Bottom-up’ analyses, on the other hand, are rooted in the implementation process and offer answers on how policy can resolve specific problems (and eventually provide citizens public services). Since local implementers may have different capacities and views, their solutions may differ too. This is not a failure but a strength of the European multi-level system. In more general terms, policy implementation is based on two important but contradictory principles, namely coordination and differentiation. The tradeoff between these principles affects the way in which the implementation takes place, as will be illustrated with the clean air policy.