Reforming the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy: Why was there a successful reform of the Common Fisheries Policy possible in 2013, after years of ineffective policy and unsuccessful attempts at reforms?

Abstract: In January 2014 a reformed CFP came into force in the EU. The reformed policy tackled many of the policy field’s troubled areas and offered realistic solutions for elements of the policy which had been criticised for years by academics, stakeholders and even EU institutions. The purpose of this thesis is to explain how the reformed policy came about and in doing so it adopts a case study design which allows for an in-depth study of the policy field. The thesis’ material is primarily made up of official documents and secondary sources. In order to help clear up the complexities of the recent changes and understand the process involved, a theoretical framework was created that makes use of punctuated equilibrium theory, path dependency and the concept of policy windows. The paper’s findings suggest that the reforms which came into effect in 2014 are a part of a path dependent process that dates back to the 1990s. However, in order to place the CFP on this path, an event was required to rupture the equilibrium of the policy field. This destabilising event came about through international environmental negotiations at the UN. This would allow the European Commission to act as a policy entrepreneur and push for further reaching policy changes. However, for years the Council of Ministers withstood fundamental changes and a policy window was required to create the conditions where the reformed policy proposal could be agreed upon by the major decision making institutions. External pressures can be an essential factor in reforming policy fields where it has been hard to bring about change.