Swedish Civil Society Organisations’ Advocacy towards the EU : a study of their methods, means and challenges

Författare

Linnéa Richardson

Summary, in English

The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the circumstances of Swedish civil society organisations’ EU advocacy work and explore the underlying reasons for the current state of affairs. This lead to the formulation of the main research question: How do Swedish civil society organisations advocate towards the EU? What methods and means are used and what challenges do they encounter?

This case study uses a qualitative methodological research design and empirical data was collected by semi-structured interviews with representatives from Swedish civil society organisations from three different policy areas: the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Naturskyddsföreningen), the Africa Groups of Sweden (Afrikagrupperna) and the Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet).

The theoretical framework considers issues of access, resources, advocacy methods, the EU centres of power, organisational and individual advocacy experience and civil society networks.

The study’s conclusion suggests that while Swedish civil society’s EU advocacy is strengthened by their Swedish advocacy connections and policy expertise, it also faces certain challenges such as limited resources and a dependency on individual advocacy actors. Finally, this study presents suggestions for future research.

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