Europeanization: Redefining the Research Agenda Center for Economic and Social Strategies Faculty of Social Sciences Charles University, Prague Thursday, 19 March Paolo R. Lovegrove Graziano Department of Institutional Analysis and Public Management Università Bocconi, Milano Center for European Studies, SciencesPo Paris

Presentation outline 1.Europeanization and European studies 2.Conceptual issues 3.Theoretical issues 4.Methodological issues 5.Empirical issues 6.Conclusion

1. Europeanization and EU studies neofunctionalist, (liberal) intergovernmentalist and supranational governance approaches: main focus is the EU level Europeanization looks primarely at the domestic level and domestic implementation of EU policies subdisciplinary shift from international relations to comparative politics

1a. Europeanization research ‘promises’ better understanding of: –EU policy-making –EU multilevel governance patterns –trasformation of European State –national policy-making Europeanization can (and has) been connected to: –EU and domestic policy analysis: policy change –EU polity building and national polity analysis: institutional change –EU and domestic politics: political actors’ strategies

1b. Europeanization research ‘pitfalls’ conceptual confusion ‘fuzzy’ methodology and vague causal links lack of comparative studies state of the art: rich empirical or conceptual studies, but very limited cases of rich empirical AND conceptual studies

2. Conceptual issues Europeanization is not convergence nor mere EU integration top-down and bottom-up process (i.e. adaptation to the EU which entails both construction and diffusion) process is different from its (direct and indirect) effects dimensions involved: policy, polity and politics Europeanization as a case of regionalization?

3. Theoretical issues Europeanization is not a theory yet......but it builds on both neofunctionalist and intergovernmental theoretical assumptions. Third step in regional integration theory?

4. Methodological issues From a ‘fuzzy’ methodology to: –differentiation in the nature of effects (direct and indirect): ex. cost containment and social policy –counterfactual reasoning (looking for alternative pressures for change) –broad and comparative research design (possibly covering both construction and diffusion phases of the process)

5. Empirical issues the ‘goodness of fit’ hypothesis and its limits endogenous (mediating) factors do matter European pressures for change regarding –national polities (state structures) –politics (political parties, interest groups and social movements) –national policies (environment, socioeconomic cohesion, immigration, employment, etc.) …but ‘differential impact’ on all the dimensions.

6. Conclusion Europeanization research has come of age… …it regards not only policy analysis but also political and polity issues… …but it is still quite ‘slippery’. Towards ‘ordinary’ comparative politics’ –within Europe: RECWOWE as an ongoing research example; –outside Europe: Europeanization as a case of Regionalization