This thesis investigates how the process of coming to an EU negotiating position for the conferences of the parties (COPs) of the UNFCCC changed between 1997 and 2015. The EU preparations for three...Show moreThis thesis investigates how the process of coming to an EU negotiating position for the conferences of the parties (COPs) of the UNFCCC changed between 1997 and 2015. The EU preparations for three of these climate conferences (Kyoto, Copenhagen, and Paris) are analysed through the content analysis of EU documents and expert interviews. This thesis argues that this negotiating process became increasingly embedded in the theoretical framework of multi-level governance. Treaty changes, shifts on the global stage of negotiations and the addition of new member states caused the European level (mainly the Commission) to play a leading role in the intra-European negotiations.Show less
