The National Co-ordination of EU Policy


Book Description

This is one of two volumes examining how EU member states co-ordinate their European policies. It examines domestic processes and co-ordination in ten member states, looking at co-ordinating ambitions, the actors in EU policy making, and the structures and processes by which policy is made.




The Coordination of the European Union


Book Description

Having realized that its traditional mode of coordinating--essentially issuing regulation--no longer commands sufficient political support, the European Union (EU) has turned to what are increasingly referred to as 'new' modes of governance, which rely upon different actors working together in relatively non-hierarchical networks. This book provides the first extended account of how effective they are at addressing 'wicked' policy problems which simultaneously demand greater levels of horizontal and vertical coordination. Taking, as an example, the thirty year struggle to integrate environmental thinking into all areas and levels of EU policy making, it offers a stark reminder that networked governance is not and is unlikely ever to be a panacea. In doing so, it strips away some of the rhetorical claims made about the novelty and appeal of 'new' modes, to reveal a much more sober and realistic appraisal of their coordinating potential.




Managing the Euro Crisis


Book Description

The financial crisis posed new challenges for the administrations of Eurozone countries, including: how to respect EU obligations when the economy is under stress? How to improve the overall implementation of EU policies and domestic reforms? How to negotiate effectively with the Troika and then quickly and efficiently fulfil the requirements of the Memoranda of Understanding? This volume offers the first analysis of EU coordination by national executives in the light of the legal and political consequences of the crisis, using case studies of five severely affected Member States: Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal. It examines from an interdisciplinary perspective how they have adapted their coordination systems since the outbreak of the crisis, shedding light on the adjustments undertaken by domestic administrations. The comparison reveals that in this process Prime Ministers and Ministers of Finance were empowered in a common shift towards the centralization of EU coordination.




Routledge Handbook of European Politics


Book Description

Since the Treaty of the European Union was ratified in 1993, the European Union has become an important factor in an ever-increasing number of regimes of pooled sovereignty. This Handbook seeks to present a valuable guide to this new and unique system in the twenty-first century, allowing readers to obtain a better understanding of the emerging multilevel European governance system that links national polities to Europe and the global community. Adopting a pan-European approach, this Handbook brings together the work of leading international academics to cover a wide range of topics such as: the historical and theoretical background the political systems and institutions of both the EU and its individual member nations political parties and party systems political elites civil society and social movements in European politics the political economy of Europe public administration and policy-making external policies of the EU. This is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for students, scholars, researchers and practitioners of the European Union, European politics and comparative politics.




The EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy in Germany and the UK


Book Description

This book examines the impact on member states of long-term foreign policy co-operation through the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Focusing on Germany and the UK, it provides an up-to-date account of how they have navigated and responded to the demands co-operation places on all member states and how their national foreign policies and policy-making processes have changed and adapted as a consequence. As well as exploring in depth the foreign policy traditions and institutions in both states, the book also offers detailed analyses of how they addressed two major policy questions: the Iranian nuclear crisis; and the establishment and development of the European External Action Service. The book’s synthesis of country and case studies seeks to add to our understanding of the nature of inter-state co-operation in the area of foreign and security policy and what it means for the states involved.




Cohesion Policy and European Integration


Book Description

How can one convince potent nation-states to put their sovereignty at risk in common European policies? EU cohesion policy, now one-third of the EU budget, provides such a puzzle. Until 1988 the European Commission shared out money to national governments with few strings attached. Since the reform of 1988, national governments are required to negotiate with the Commission and regional authorities on how to use the money. Has this European-wide policy eroded national sovereignty in favour of a stronger role for the Commission and more power for Europe's regions? The first part of the book probes into the policy dynamics at the European level. In the second part, eight country studies evaluate the impact of uniform EU policy on territorial relations by comparing policy making before and after the reform. The concluding section explains persistent variation in EU cohesion decision making and implementation.




Fiscal Policy Co-ordination in the European Monetary Union


Book Description

This book studies the formal creation and the gradual change of the Stability and Growth Pact in the European Monetary Union (EMU). The book explains why and how the Pact was pushed through by Germany despite fierce opposition from the majority of member states. It provides a unique, in-depth analysis of how a new coalition of member states, including Germany, achieved a creeping reinterpretation of the rules which prepared the way for a formal reform of the Pact in 2005, ten years after its invention. Four case studies show why and how the margin of maneuver inherent in the Pact was used to accommodate the preferences of those governments which were in breach of the Pact, and explains how they managed to lower the costs of change. To analyze these formal and informal dynamics, the study develops a model of institutional change which focuses on the actors, their preferences, and the systemic intermediation of national preferences. This model is applicable to other policy fields in the multi-level EU system. By offering new insights into the conflict potential inherent in the interplay of national preferences and European fiscal rules, the book feeds into the recent debate on the necessity and feasibility of a political union in the evolving EMU.




The Politics of Europeanization


Book Description

'The Politics of Europeanization' looks at the political aspects of European integration from the point of view of domestic politics. In doing so, it goes beyond the classic analysis of 'how policies are made in Brussels' and raises instead the question 'what is the power of Europe in nationalcontexts?'. The questions at the heart of this volume are crucial both for our understanding of European integration and for their policy implications.What does Europeanization really mean? How can it be measured? How is the European Union affecting domestic politics and policies in member states and candidate countries? Is Europeanization an irreversible process? Does it mean convergence across Europe? How and why do differences remain? Thecontributors explain and question the 'power of Europe' by providing theoretical and empirical perspectives on domestic politics and institutions, government and administration, public policies, political actors and business groups. The volume contains a new research agenda for the nascentliterature on Europeanization.




The European Commission of the Twenty-First Century


Book Description

Co-authored by an international team of researchers and drawing on interviews with senior officials, The European Commission of the Twenty-First Century tests, challenges and refutes many widely held myths about the Commission and the people who work for it.




The Penguin Companion to European Union


Book Description

The focus of this book is on the fifteen-member European Union but its coverage extends to many other bodies which form part of today's Europe, such as the Council of Europe, the European Economic Area and Western European Union.