Contemprorary Russian Environmental policy: problems, players and priorities. The case of Pskov Region and environmental agenda-setting process.

• Main Author: Lundqvist, Anastasia
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Ekonomiska institutionen 2003
• Subjects: Social sciences; agenda-setting; constructivism; environmental policy; north-western Russia; SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP; North-Western Russia
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-1870

From the beginning of nineties, when significant changes took place, Russia began to elaborate new environmental policy and designed new patterns for responding the environmental problems. The paper tried to make a contribution to our understanding of environmental policy and policy processes within the Russia in general terms and to the nature of environmental agenda setting in Pskov region in more specific terms. This thesis is therefore explores environmental agenda setting process in Russia taking into consideration contemporary trends in the analysis of policy- making, such as inclusion of non-state actors as well as role of ideas shaping actors attitudes and behaviour. The purpose of the thesis is to study the relationship between transnational forces and interactions, national policy and local political developments and the role of various agents and institutions in agenda setting of the regional environmental policy-making. The frame of reference is constituted by a theoretical combination of the agenda-setting model with constructivist approach in order to broaden our investigation of the implications of environmental policy-making, impact of political culture upon construction of environmental issues, and transformations in the public policy. By focusing on Pskov region case, the paper identifies and discusses a number of reasons why environmental issues are found on the margins of the political agenda. A central argument is that in the absence of effective governance in the Pskov region, international agents together with regional interest groups formulate environmental agenda. The paper concludes that, even though, the mentality of environmentalism is set through the foreign assistance, the processes of learning from international cooperation may contribute to attainment of regional environmental objectives.