The EU as a green normative power? Unpacking dynamics of norm diffusion in forest biodiversity politics

Abstract In the European Union (EU), substantial policy efforts aim to conserve and enhance forest biodiversity. Under the European Green Deal (EGD), flagship policies, including the EU forest and biodiversity strategies for 2030, envision the ecological transformation of nature, society, and economy. Central to these efforts are norms—soft institutions and shared standards that guide actors’ behaviour. Drawing on diffusion approaches, we identify key norms promoted by the EU and examine their normative impact on forest biodiversity politics in member states. Using qualitative content analysis and expert interviews, we analyse current EU strategies and confront them with past and current national forest and biodiversity strategies in Germany and Spain to investigate whether and to what extent they reflect European norms. Our results indicate that the EU articulates norms through the EGD that contribute to shaping national discourses on forest biodiversity policies. However, contested interpretations among the analysed member states reveal a dynamic and context-dependent norm diffusion process. By shedding light on such complex interactions, this study advances our understanding of the EU’s influence on member states and contributes to the European integration literature and norms research by offering empirical insights into diffusion and contestation processes.