CRISIS‐INDUCED LEARNING AND ISSUE POLITICIZATION IN THE EU: THE BRAER, SEA EMPRESS, ERIKA, AND PRESTIGE OIL SPILL DISASTERS

Abstract

This article explores the relation between issue politicization and crisis‐induced learning by the EU. We performed a political claims analysis on the political response to the four major oil spill disasters that have occurred in European waters since 1993. Political claims that we observed in three arenas (mass media, national parliaments, and the European Parliament) were compared with recommendations in post‐crisis evaluation reports and the EU's legislative responses. For all three political arenas our findings indicate that politicization of issues either promotes or impedes crisis‐induced EU learning, which points to the existence of determining intervening factors. EU legislation that is adopted in response to oil spill disasters appears to a large extent grounded in crisis evaluation reports. Characteristics of crisis evaluation reports, especially the degree of international focus, seem to offer a more plausible explanation for variance in crisis‐induced learning outcomes than politicization.