The Expansion of the Catalytic State: The New EU Paradigm for the European Green Deal and Beyond

This paper illustrates the evolving role of the European Union (EU) from a ‘regulatory state’ to a ‘catalytic state’ in response to international and domestic challenges. Originally developed by Majone in the 1990s, the regulatory state model has had an enormous impact on the study of European integration. Focusing on rule-making and emphasising economic governance through regulation rather than direct intervention, this model has long been the standard view for framing the EU polity, its policy-making and its stance in global affairs. However, recent developments, including economic and geopolitical challenges, have exposed the limitations of the regulatory state model. In response, scholars have argued that the EU is shifting towards more interventionist practices, exploring state capacities well beyond regulation. To better understand this shift, this paper introduces the concept of the ‘catalytic state’ to EU studies. This model focuses on new capacities aimed at harnessing the resources of non-state actors and promoting more direct and strategic intervention in critical sectors such as climate and energy. This approach is consistent with broader theories of international political economy that address new forms of state activism in a globalised economy. It offers a fresh way of theorising EU policymaking and framing the bloc’s stance in an evolving international system characterised by growing great power competition.