Between Compliance and Control: National Strategies to Mitigate Gold-Plating in Iceland and Sweden
(2025) STVM24 20251Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- This thesis examines how Iceland and Sweden justify and institutionalise gold-plating mitigation strategies in the transposition of EU and EEA law. Gold-plating, where national implementation exceeds EU minimum requirements, is often framed as a regulatory problem. At the same time, gold-plating mitigation strategies may constrain national discretion and reflect underlying political,
ideological, or economic logics. Through a qualitative comparative case study approach of two reports, the thesis explores how mitigating strategies are framed, justified and embedded in each country’s administrative context. Drawing on theoretical perspectives related to sovereignty, administrative efficiency, competitiveness, and ideological orientation,... (More) - This thesis examines how Iceland and Sweden justify and institutionalise gold-plating mitigation strategies in the transposition of EU and EEA law. Gold-plating, where national implementation exceeds EU minimum requirements, is often framed as a regulatory problem. At the same time, gold-plating mitigation strategies may constrain national discretion and reflect underlying political,
ideological, or economic logics. Through a qualitative comparative case study approach of two reports, the thesis explores how mitigating strategies are framed, justified and embedded in each country’s administrative context. Drawing on theoretical perspectives related to sovereignty, administrative efficiency, competitiveness, and ideological orientation, the analysis finds that Iceland’s strategy is shaped by concerns over national autonomy and procedural clarity. In contrast, Sweden places greater emphasis on competitiveness and regulatory coherence, which shapes its approach to gold-plating mitigation. Although both states aim to reduce unnecessary additions, their strategies are shaped by distinct institutional contexts and political priorities. The findings suggest that gold-plating mitigation is not merely a technical adjustment, but a form of political choice – one that may risk narrowing legitimate policy space if applied too rigidly. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9189251
- author
- Thomsen, Inger Erla LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- STVM24 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Gold-Plating, EU/EEA Law Implementation, National Discretion, Sovereignty, Administrative Governance, Better Regulation
- language
- English
- id
- 9189251
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-08 13:27:28
- date last changed
- 2025-08-08 13:27:28
@misc{9189251,
abstract = {{This thesis examines how Iceland and Sweden justify and institutionalise gold-plating mitigation strategies in the transposition of EU and EEA law. Gold-plating, where national implementation exceeds EU minimum requirements, is often framed as a regulatory problem. At the same time, gold-plating mitigation strategies may constrain national discretion and reflect underlying political,
ideological, or economic logics. Through a qualitative comparative case study approach of two reports, the thesis explores how mitigating strategies are framed, justified and embedded in each country’s administrative context. Drawing on theoretical perspectives related to sovereignty, administrative efficiency, competitiveness, and ideological orientation, the analysis finds that Iceland’s strategy is shaped by concerns over national autonomy and procedural clarity. In contrast, Sweden places greater emphasis on competitiveness and regulatory coherence, which shapes its approach to gold-plating mitigation. Although both states aim to reduce unnecessary additions, their strategies are shaped by distinct institutional contexts and political priorities. The findings suggest that gold-plating mitigation is not merely a technical adjustment, but a form of political choice – one that may risk narrowing legitimate policy space if applied too rigidly.}},
author = {{Thomsen, Inger Erla}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Between Compliance and Control: National Strategies to Mitigate Gold-Plating in Iceland and Sweden}},
year = {{2025}},
}