| dc.description.abstract | In an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Europe is making strides to achieve the electrification of its economy and society. Batteries are considered a critical instrument in accomplishing this electrification, making them a crucial and strategically important commodity, leading to an enormous increase in demand. Based on environmental, economic, and geopolitical considerations, the European Union has set a goal to help establish a European battery value chain. Related to this goal, the EU proposed the European Green Deal (EGD), a plan to secure emission cuts and green growth. Also in Norway, a battery value chain is emerging. The establishment of the battery sector coincides with the EU adopting many battery-related regulations through the EGD. Since Norway is not an EU member state, it has no formal influence on EU law-making. Yet, as a European Economic Area (EEA) member, Norwegian businesses are subject to most EU laws. In this thesis, I explore how Norwegian battery companies are positioning themselves towards relevant EGD regulations, as well as their possibility for influencing the law-making process. I have gathered input from battery companies on the EGD and evaluated their importance as stakeholders to the EU. Lastly, I investigated the correlation between the industry's standing in Brussels and industry preferences on regulations. This case study has been conducted with a qualitative methodological approach, through 14 interviews with industry members and policy experts, as well as through document analysis and observation. My three main findings are that: 1) despite Norway not having influenced EGD legislation in any official capacity, the companies were mainly content with the regulations affecting them. 2) As for their importance as stakeholders to the EU, they seemed to have become more influential. Previously there were instances where Norwegian interest clearly had not been considered, yet the Norwegian actors gained salience with time. Some factors in this development are that Norway has become the union's largest natural gas supplier and shares common interests with Sweden. This increased Norwegian influence has resulted in a closer coalescence between the Norwegian and the European battery industry. 3) Finally, despite the strong standing of the European battery industry vis-a-vis the EU, the industry did not seek to leverage this position to avoid increased direct legislation from Brussels. These factors make the battery industry deviate from assumptions regarding the regulatory preferences of private firms. A significant degree of influence on the legislative process and the hope that strict environmental regulations will keep cheap foreign batteries out of the market are the main reasons for the industry supporting the ambitious and vast regulations of the EGD. | eng |