23
usage. Government agencies set the mandates, regulations, and other subsidies for
biofuel usage in their countries. Such policies are debated by different stakeholders
in each country, including civil society organizations, consumer groups, members
of the petroleum industry, automobile producers, as well as local representatives of
INGOs. Therefore, it is still necessary to look at individual regions and nations as a
kind of boundary that sets the arena for biofuel policy-making.
3.2.2 Multilayered and Nested Nature of Biofuel Governance
Because the governance concept is grounded primarily on voluntary agreements
between stakeholders, it can be identified at any level. International organizations
and national representatives are key players in the governance at the global level.
Individual consumers, gas station operators, and even manual laborers are the key
stakeholders at the local level. At each of these levels, there have to be certain agreements among these stakeholders for these governance systems to sustain.
Thus, biofuel governance can be identified in a nested system of a multilayered
environment. While each system of governance has to be grounded on a kind of
social contract among stakeholders, individual systems of governance influence
each other, and the coordination among them is another key factor in considering
the sustainability of holistic systems for the utilization of biofuels. It is insufficient
for a researcher to look at only one level of governance without studying its influence to the other levels as well as the influences that it might incur from the other
levels.
Multilevel governance is an idea adopted particularly in the study of EU governance. The interaction between the EU and participating nation become the subject
of research after its harmonization efforts started in the 1990s. Each member state
has an obligation to follow the directives and decisions by the directorate general of
the European Commission and the European Parliament. The direction of the influence is, however, not one-way. Each member state, as well as lobbyists sent by
industries of each nation, tries to influence the EC policy in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Thus, the influence is bidirectional. This interaction between nation-states and international organization has attracted the interests of European political scientists.
The same concept can be applied to the multilevel governance of biofuels. As we
stated, it is a matter of policy and market decisions at the international, regional/
national, and local levels. The interaction among governance systems at these three
levels represents a complex tension among stakeholders at multiple levels.
3 Stakeholder Perspective and Multilevel Governance
usage. Government agencies set the mandates, regulations, and other subsidies for
biofuel usage in their countries. Such policies are debated by different stakeholders
in each country, including civil society organizations, consumer groups, members
of the petroleum industry, automobile producers, as well as local representatives of
INGOs. Therefore, it is still necessary to look at individual regions and nations as a
kind of boundary that sets the arena for biofuel policy-making.
3.2.2 Multilayered and Nested Nature of Biofuel Governance
Because the governance concept is grounded primarily on voluntary agreements
between stakeholders, it can be identified at any level. International organizations
and national representatives are key players in the governance at the global level.
Individual consumers, gas station operators, and even manual laborers are the key
stakeholders at the local level. At each of these levels, there have to be certain agreements among these stakeholders for these governance systems to sustain.
Thus, biofuel governance can be identified in a nested system of a multilayered
environment. While each system of governance has to be grounded on a kind of
social contract among stakeholders, individual systems of governance influence
each other, and the coordination among them is another key factor in considering
the sustainability of holistic systems for the utilization of biofuels. It is insufficient
for a researcher to look at only one level of governance without studying its influence to the other levels as well as the influences that it might incur from the other
levels.
Multilevel governance is an idea adopted particularly in the study of EU governance. The interaction between the EU and participating nation become the subject
of research after its harmonization efforts started in the 1990s. Each member state
has an obligation to follow the directives and decisions by the directorate general of
the European Commission and the European Parliament. The direction of the influence is, however, not one-way. Each member state, as well as lobbyists sent by
industries of each nation, tries to influence the EC policy in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Thus, the influence is bidirectional. This interaction between nation-states and international organization has attracted the interests of European political scientists.
The same concept can be applied to the multilevel governance of biofuels. As we
stated, it is a matter of policy and market decisions at the international, regional/
national, and local levels. The interaction among governance systems at these three
levels represents a complex tension among stakeholders at multiple levels.
3 Stakeholder Perspective and Multilevel Governance