Barriers to implementing EU green policies : behavioural insights from a workshop with the expert group on public administration and governance

This report summarises the findings of a workshop session organised by the EU Policy Lab of the Joint Research Centre in the context of the 8th High-level meeting of the Expert Group on Public Administration and Governance of the European Commission to explore barriers to implementing EU green policies, with a particular focus on behavioural dimensions. The workshop brought together representatives of ministries responsible for horizontal policies of public administration and coordination services from across EU Member States to collectively identify key implementation obstacles, reflect on their behavioural drivers, and develop hypotheses on how these drivers might contribute to the barriers. Key barriers identified included lack of political will, insufficient resources and infrastructure, limited awareness and expertise, public resistance to change, governance complexity, and business resistance and lobbying. The workshop marked the launch of a broader project aimed at mapping the implementation journey of EU green policies, identifying leverage points, and designing behavioural interventions to improve policy outcomes. The insights gathered provide a crucial starting point for addressing the human factors that influence the success of EU green policy implementation.