Framing a wicked problem: EU interest groups and the biofuels debate surrounding the Renewable Energy Directive

Abstract

There is a gap in our understanding of the role interest groups play in creating the contested debate around biofuels policy in the European Union. This research aims to contribute to the literature by unpacking the way interest groups strategically presented and disseminated information on biofuels during the third revision of the Renewable Energy Directive. The theory of framing is applied to uncover how information may be emphasised or omitted to make certain issues more salient than others. In order to identify the frames used and whether they shifted throughout the two and a half year period studied, 125 documents by 60 different interest groups are analysed. Interviews with six key interest groups are also conducted for triangulation. The findings suggest that ideals, such as food security and sustainability, and crises, such as the invasion of Ukraine, are malleable in the way that interest groups can use them to strategically promote their own aims. Unpacking interest group framing is identified as a crucial task in bringing clarity to debates characterised by conflict and confusion over scientific evidence.