The European Administrative Space - A Discussion of Administrative Integration in the Enlarged European Union
(2008)Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- Europeanization investigates how political integration in Europe affects the domestic power structures and policies. Less research has been carried out on what impact the EU has on national public administrations. It is in fact disputed whether administrative Europeanization even exists. Furthermore, there is no explicit European model of administration; no blueprint that the EU can enforce in its member states or candidate countries. It was recognized that the candidate countries in Central and Eastern Europe had too poor administrative capacity to be able to implement and enforce the EU legislation. Therefore, something had to be done, and Twinning was the answer, now extended to additional countries. Twinning is a program in which a... (More)
- Europeanization investigates how political integration in Europe affects the domestic power structures and policies. Less research has been carried out on what impact the EU has on national public administrations. It is in fact disputed whether administrative Europeanization even exists. Furthermore, there is no explicit European model of administration; no blueprint that the EU can enforce in its member states or candidate countries. It was recognized that the candidate countries in Central and Eastern Europe had too poor administrative capacity to be able to implement and enforce the EU legislation. Therefore, something had to be done, and Twinning was the answer, now extended to additional countries. Twinning is a program in which a public administration official from a member state is chosen to assist the beneficiary country for a period of time, usually two years. The Commission supervises and finances the programme. The responsibility of reaching a sufficient administrative capacity thereby lies partly on the shoulders of the MS and the Commission.
Two questions arise. Are peculiarities in the CEEC administrations accepted by the member states and by the Commission? And does the Twinning programme result in Europeanization of administration, and if so, how?
I have answered these questions by studying theoretical literature of Europeanization. Such literature takes its stand in the theoretical perspectives of ?new institutionalisms?. Rational Choice Institutionalism and Sociological Institutionalism are the most common reference points, but I have included Historical Institutionalism for a wider understanding. I have also analysed evaluations of the Twinning programme conducted by both MS and Commission actors, to reveal the attitudes of different EU actors upon administrative integration. I have used the theoretical literature to draw up ideal types to be used for analysing the evaluations.
My conclusions are that:
1. Norms and values are being Europeanized within a framework of existing institutional norms and values but this does not necessarily result in tangible convergence of administrative structures.
2. The administrative legacies from the communist past of the CEECs to a great extent hamper even modest reform programmes such as Twinning.
3. Peculiarities of CEEC administrations are viewed upon with scepticism even in cases where they do not hamper good administration. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1316556
- author
- Kullander, Mats
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2008
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- 'European Administrative Space' Administration, Integration, Twinning, Europeanization, Political and administrative sciences, Statsvetenskap, förvaltningskunskap
- language
- English
- id
- 1316556
- date added to LUP
- 2009-01-22 00:00:00
- date last changed
- 2009-01-28 00:00:00
@misc{1316556,
abstract = {{Europeanization investigates how political integration in Europe affects the domestic power structures and policies. Less research has been carried out on what impact the EU has on national public administrations. It is in fact disputed whether administrative Europeanization even exists. Furthermore, there is no explicit European model of administration; no blueprint that the EU can enforce in its member states or candidate countries. It was recognized that the candidate countries in Central and Eastern Europe had too poor administrative capacity to be able to implement and enforce the EU legislation. Therefore, something had to be done, and Twinning was the answer, now extended to additional countries. Twinning is a program in which a public administration official from a member state is chosen to assist the beneficiary country for a period of time, usually two years. The Commission supervises and finances the programme. The responsibility of reaching a sufficient administrative capacity thereby lies partly on the shoulders of the MS and the Commission.
Two questions arise. Are peculiarities in the CEEC administrations accepted by the member states and by the Commission? And does the Twinning programme result in Europeanization of administration, and if so, how?
I have answered these questions by studying theoretical literature of Europeanization. Such literature takes its stand in the theoretical perspectives of ?new institutionalisms?. Rational Choice Institutionalism and Sociological Institutionalism are the most common reference points, but I have included Historical Institutionalism for a wider understanding. I have also analysed evaluations of the Twinning programme conducted by both MS and Commission actors, to reveal the attitudes of different EU actors upon administrative integration. I have used the theoretical literature to draw up ideal types to be used for analysing the evaluations.
My conclusions are that:
1. Norms and values are being Europeanized within a framework of existing institutional norms and values but this does not necessarily result in tangible convergence of administrative structures.
2. The administrative legacies from the communist past of the CEECs to a great extent hamper even modest reform programmes such as Twinning.
3. Peculiarities of CEEC administrations are viewed upon with scepticism even in cases where they do not hamper good administration.}},
author = {{Kullander, Mats}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The European Administrative Space - A Discussion of Administrative Integration in the Enlarged European Union}},
year = {{2008}},
}