Whose integration is this? European forest policy between the gospel of coordination, institutional competition, and a new spirit of integration

Policy integration is a challenging process that involves the renegotiation of interests, beliefs, and sectoral policy boundaries. In this paper we introduce European forest policy as an arena that is characterized by a policy (dis)integration paradox. On the one hand, the need for better coordination and integration of fragmented policies is frequently expressed. On the other hand, little has been achieved in terms of policy integration despite several initiatives. Drawing on fifty semistructured interviews with European forest policy makers and participatory observation, we assess, firstly, effects of and reasons for the disintegration paradox and, secondly, the strategic importance of distinct forest policy initiatives that are legitimized by the need for better policy integration. Our data demonstrate that the forest policy (dis)integration paradox can be explained by different factors, with economic interests and sectoral and institutional competition being most important. Under such circumstances, policy integration serves as frequently used rhetoric to consolidate sectoral interests; however, substance-wise, it is simply not happening.