2026/05/26 by Therese Bjärstig, Simon Larsson, Kajsa Moberg +2 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Business, Management and Accounting · #International Environmental Law and Policies #Sustainability and Climate Change Governance #Public-Private Partnership Projects
paper · doi:10.1080/1523908x.2026.2679256
openalex publication_date 2026/05/26 · openalex created_date 2026/05/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/13
In response to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), Sweden launched the National Plan for Modern Environmental Assessments (NAP) to align hydropower operations with contemporary environmental standards. However, repeated government-initiated pauses between 2023 and 2025 have disrupted the plan’s implementation, sparking debate and raising concerns about Sweden’s commitment to following the directives of WFD. This study investigates how these pauses have affected the implementation process, drawing on survey data from 120 respondents, including officials at County Administrative Boards and hydropower operators. Findings reveal that the pauses have introduced uncertainty, and additional administrative burdens for a significant portion of the respondents. However, there are differences across actor groups; while some used the extra time for preparation, others suspended activity entirely. The study contributes to implementation theory by illustrating how large-scale reforms unfold not as linear processes, but as episodic cycles shaped by political contingencies. It highlights the disruptions in bureaucratic processes related to political interventions, the strategic use of government-mandated pauses, the tension between environmental and energy goals, and the differentiated capacity of actors to navigate a rapidly changing administrative landscape and adapt to new circumstances. A more dynamic understanding of implementation cycles in politically sensitive environmental reforms is thus needed.