Policy Convergence: smoke free policy, the case of the Netherlands

In 1990 the Dutch government introduced the workplace-smoking ban for the public sector and finalized a total smoking ban on 1 January 2015. Despite the accumulated evidence on the dangers of tobacco use since 1967, it was not until the 1980’s that a few states took action against the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoking. Since then, throughout Europe the amount of the tobacco-control policies that restrict smoking in public places has grown. These policies are also becoming more restrictive, but there is considerable variation. Notable is also, that not long before this, on European level and on international level an involvement developed. The WHO became involved since 1970 and a European involvement developed in the mid-1980’s. The expectation is that European and international institutions and other countries, have been the driving force in the growing development of similar smoke-free policies throughout Europe. The growing similarity of policies over time, is described...Show moreIn 1990 the Dutch government introduced the workplace-smoking ban for the public sector and finalized a total smoking ban on 1 January 2015. Despite the accumulated evidence on the dangers of tobacco use since 1967, it was not until the 1980’s that a few states took action against the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoking. Since then, throughout Europe the amount of the tobacco-control policies that restrict smoking in public places has grown. These policies are also becoming more restrictive, but there is considerable variation. Notable is also, that not long before this, on European level and on international level an involvement developed. The WHO became involved since 1970 and a European involvement developed in the mid-1980’s. The expectation is that European and international institutions and other countries, have been the driving force in the growing development of similar smoke-free policies throughout Europe. The growing similarity of policies over time, is described as policy convergence. As result of these developments, the following question is formulated: Is there convergence or divergence in the smoke-free policy between the Netherlands and its neighbouring countries, Belgium and Germany? Which role have international institutions and supranational institutions, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Union (EU), played in advancing the Dutch smoke-free policy? What explains this policy convergence? The fact that other countries, international and European institutions created smoke- free policies did not automatically lead to domestic policy innovation in the Netherlands. In the policy convergence literature the discussion has been played out around the central question ‘what describes the adoption of similar innovations i.e. laws, policies instruments across different nations?’ The policy convergence literature has provided a framework which is used to assess if policy convergence occurred in the smoke-free policy area between the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and the role that the European Union, The World Health Organisation has played in this development. The literature is also used to make a systematic empirical illustration of the mechanisms that facilitated this policy transfer. The case study has shown that several mechanisms have contributed to the development of policy convergence in the smoke-free policy area. International harmonisation, regulatory competition, lesson drawing and international policy promotion are seen as the driving forces of policy convergence, with international harmonization as the most important causal mechanism that has driven the development of the convergence.Show less

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Policy Convergence: smoke free policy, the case of the Netherlands