Science Advisory Systems and Environmental Governance in the Mediterranean Sea Basin: Institutional Design, Guiding Principles and Open Issues

Governments worldwide have progressively institutionalized scientific advice through the development of science advisory systems. Over time, these systems have evolved into increasingly diverse arrangements in both design and operation, with their remit expanding across a broadening range of policy domains. As a result, advisory bodies now display varied structural and functional features, extending into emerging areas such as environmental governance. In particular, escalating anthropogenic pressures and climate change impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems in coastal regions have driven the creation of environmental advisory bodies specifically focused on the land–sea interface. In multilevel democratic systems, responses to these environmental challenges have also intensified at the subnational level. Building on their growing competences in environmental policymaking, regional authorities have increasingly established science advisory bodies for littoral management through a variety of institutional arrangements. Despite a substantial body of literature addressing the “what” of science advice, far less attention has been devoted to understanding “how” scientific advice is delivered and integrated into policymaking processes. Moreover, existing studies have only partially explored science advice within the field of environmental governance, as they have predominantly focused on the national level. To address this gap, this article examines the institutional arrangements and operational features of subnational science advisory systems for land–sea environmental governance in three Mediterranean multilevel democracies: Spain, Italy, and France. Adopting a mixed-methods approach that combines a review of academic literature with semi-structured elite interviews with science advisors and policymakers, the study addresses the following research question: how do institutional design and operational features shape the roles and influence of subnational science advisory systems in coastal environmental governance? The findings demonstrate that the institutional arrangements underpinning scientific advisory bodies are critical in determining their capacity to contribute effectively to legitimate, evidence-informed environmental policymaking in littoral contexts.