Comparative Politics of Europe - 11.01.2013.doc

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COMPARATIVE POLITICS OF EUROPE

11.01.2013

LECTURE 11 - The union as a Force of Change in Domestic Politics,

Europeanization

European Studies and Europeanization

For much of its history, European Studies focused primarily on the forces which caused

integration and the structures created in Brussels.

Increased focus on analyzing the consequences of integration at a domestic level:

Europeanization

Europeanization: 'domestic change caused by integration'.

Europeanization

Europeanization or EU-ization?

In the 1990s the prevailing idea was that because the EU was standard, the result would

be standard leading to each member state eventually transforming into exactly the sametype of political system, we would all come to be identical.

Europeanization is distinct from integration: integration is a process with an aim.

Europeanization is what happens as a consequence of that process.

Norway for example, can trade within countries in the EU even though, the country itself in

not a EU member state. Because the EU is distinct from the member states, the idea in the

past was that all the countries would have the same type of political system. Yet now, we

can come to realize that the EU laws are adopted in different ways.

Europeanization: 3 principal question.To understand Europeanization we must understand:

1. what stimulates change?

2. what changes?

3. why is change differentiated?

Interest groups in Malta, have been directly effected by the EU, you can directly ask for EU

funds, thus allowing you to create greater expertise.

Whychangehappens?

The principal stimulus for change is the EU's policy output and the degree of fit betweenwhat the EU wants and the domestic set-up.

Policy fit and institutional fit - in addition to have to comply with EU policy a country must

also participate in EU politics which necessities further changes

The application of fit however best applies to what is termed positive integration.

Customs changed with the entry of people, and merchandise, unless it is believed to be of

national threat and that to those people around them. Thus, now there is free movement in

comparison to the past. However, if there are various types of merchandise, coming from

countries such as Iraq one has the right to check it.

The EU's stimulus for change


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Bulmerand Radaelli

Negotiation

Governance

- positive integration ( who have to adopt the same integration no matter where you come

from)

- negative integration ( telling the MS what they cannot allow, such as not allowing

government to give subsidies)

Facilitated coordination

Krill and Lehmkuhl

1. Positive integration

2. Negative integration

3. Framing integration (the EU is not consistent with the law it creates, you are given

advice however, you do not necessarily have to implit

You have to adjust to what the EU wants a country to do. However, of the EU asks too

much out of its MS it can take longer for a MS to adjust it or integrate it. For example:

Greece.

Areas where change can be seen

Politics (Political and normative structures)

This includes changes to national political institutions, the Public Administration, legal

structures, the role of actors and how business is undertaken.

Policies (type and scope of policies)

Polity (political parties and interest groups)

Changes in societal-cleavage structures, the expectation of society of politics.(One can of the structures are efficient by looking at the political structure of the EU. Prior

to us joining in the EU, Malta's environmental policy was sketchy. Once you form part of

the EU, you have to adopt their policies. The policy spectrum is radically effected by EU

policy. The EU invests on regulating).

The Mediating Factors (which inform how countries change)

Various factors impact how countries change and each country will have a different

combination of these factors at play:

Factors include institutional traditions

Executive leadership The administration reform capacity of the institution

Timing

Legitimizing policy discourse

Norm Entrepreneurs

Cooperative informal institutions

Key determinants include veto players, facilitating formal institutions.

Amnesty international find it easy to cooperate because they manage to come along on

various policies.

Europeanization in Malta


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Changes to core government structures, both horizontal and vertical

The creation of the EU Secretariat with the OPM (the Prime minister is strongly

empowered)

The PPCD (planning and priorities coordination division) for cohesion Funds.

Individual EU affairs Directorates

Scrutiny committee with Parliament MEUS/ AC

Processes foe establishing national positions on Commission proposals.

Changes to policy

Policy types

Policy mechanisms

Including enhanced environmental and consumer policy

Greater regulatory emphasis

Changes within the wider polity, especially interest group activity and values.

The presidency as a force for concentrated change.

(Nowadays the Prime minister, can make policies which were usually done by the

ministers).

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Comparative Politics of Europe - 11.01.2013.doc