Table I

German and British Administrative Patterns in Environmental Policy

Germany Britain

Regulatory Style

State Intervention



Administrative Interest Intermediation

„Interventionist Ideal“

  • hierarchical
  • substantive
  • low flexibility/discretion
  • formal
  • legalistic
  • more adversarial
  • closed

„Mediating Ideal“

  • more self-regulation
  • procedural
  • high flexibility/discretion
  • informal
  • pragmatic
  • consensual
  • closed
Regulatory Structure
  • functional decentralisation
  • sectoral fragmentation
  • hierarchical coordination
  • sectoral decentralisation
  • sectoral fragmentation
  • lacking hierarchical coordination of local activities

Table II

Administrative Implications of the Policies under Study

Regulatory Style Regulatory Structure
Drinking Water Intervention Type:
hierarchical, uniform, substantive, low flexibility
Interest Intermediation:
formal and legalistic 		neutral, organisational rather than structural implications
Access to Information Intervention Type:
procedural
Interest Intermediation:
transparency 		neutral, organizational rather than structural implications
EIA Intervention Type:
hierarchical, procedural, high flexibility
Interest Intermediation:
(limited) public participation 		concentration and coordination of administrative competencies
EMAS Intervention Type:
self-regulation, procedural, high flexibility
Interest Intermediation:
not directly affected 		building up new administrative structures
©1998 by Knill/Lenschow
formated and tagged by MN, 7.4.1998