Hussein Kassim - Böcker

This book i sone of two volumes in which leading scholars examine the way in which EU member states co-ordinate their European policies. Eschewing the 'Europeanisation' problematic within which the issue is usually adressed, this book adopts a broader, more inclusive approach. It examines domestic processes and investigates co-ordination in ten member states - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom - looking at co-ordinating ambitions, the actors involved in EU policy making, and the structures and processes by which policy is made.From a comparative perspective, the book identifies and assesses the impact of the influiences that have shaped systems of national co-ordination - the demands exerted by Union membership, the instituional structure of the national polity, the pre-existing balance between domestic institutions, administrative norms and values, and attitudes, both popular and elite, the European integration. It assesses the extent to which there has been a convergent response to the administrative challenges posed by membership on the part of the member states or whether a pattern of divergence emerges. The effectiveness of member states in influencing policy outcomes at the European level is also addressed. The companion volume answers similar questions about national administrations in Brussels. Looking at twelve member states, it is the first systematic examination of the role played by Permanent Representations in national EU policy making.

This book is the second of two volumes that examine how EU member states co-ordinate their European policies. In this second volume, the focus is on the European level. The book investigates the strategies deployed by eleven member states -- Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom - and examines the role played by the permanent representation, and the structures and processes that link national officials in Brussels and at home. From a comparative perspective, the book identifies and assesses the organisation, functions and effectiveness of the permanent representation, and the part that it plays in the national system of co-ordination. It considers the influences that have shaped systems of national co-ordination -- the demands exerted by Union membership, the institutional structure of the national polity, the pre-existing balance between domestic institutions, administrative norms and values, and attitudes, both popular and elite, to European integration. It assesses the extent to which there has been a convergent response to the administrative challenges posed by membership on the part of the member states or whether a pattern of divergence endures. The question of effectiveness is also addressed.The companion volume explores co-ordination institutions, structures and procedures at the domestic level. Looking at ten member states, it offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of the way in national governments organise European policy making.

The European Commission is arguably the world's most powerful international administration. It plays a central role in the political system of the European Union. The Commission is a permanent presence in the life of the member states, but its influence is felt far beyond their borders. Viewed historically as the motor of European integration, the Commission is the subject of intense controversy. It is portrayed frequently as technocratic, monolithic, and unaccountable, but also as fragmented and weakly led. According to accepted wisdom, it is populated by career bureaucrats, who want only to expand the competencies of the Union and therefore their own power.This book tests these views. It asks: Who are the people who work for the organization? What are their educational and professional backgrounds? What do officials believe about the role of the Commission in the EU today and whether the Union should have more or less power? What leads them to choose to pursue a career in the Commission, and how do they navigate its complexities? How does the Barroso Commission compare to previous Commissions? How harmonious are relations between cabinets and the services? What has been the impact on the Commission of reform and of the 'big bang' enlargement? Co-authored by an international team of researchers, this book draws on original data from the largest attitudinal survey ever conducted by independent researchers inside the Commission, as well as a structured programme of interviews with senior officials. It provides an authoritative account of the European Commission of the twenty-first century.

Although the implications of EU membership have been the subject of intense political debate and academic enquiry throughout the member states, the actual impact of EU action on those states remains under-researched. The lack of empirical investigation has meant that it has not been possible to arrive at any informed judgement about how the EU has affected traditional policy making in the member states or to evaluate competing claims. The European Union and National Industrial Policy investigates the extent to which action at the EU level in a range of industrial, financial and service sectors has affected the substance of national policy and the behaiviour of, and relationships between, national actors. It looks at the policies pursued by the four larger member states in these areas, discussing the initiatives launched by the EU and assessing the Union's impact on national policy, compared with other internal and external factors. The European Union and National Industrial Policy offers a unique investigation of the relationship between the Union and member states that is empirically-based and theoretically reflective. In an attempt to overcome the boundaries that have traditionally seperated international relations, political science, public policy and other social sciences, it uses insights from a number of perspectives to assess the impact of the EU on the ability of member states to chose and implement their goals.

Beyond the Market: The European Union and National Social Policy considers the extent to which the European Union has impacted on the formation and content of social and environmental policy in the member states, focusing on the four larger members: Germany, France, the UK and Italy. The contributors use theory and empirical evidence to highlight the factors that influence the formation and content of social policy and why some states have been able to resist EU social policy initiatives successfully and maintain their autonomy.

Beyond the Market: The European Union and National Social Policy considers the extent to which the European Union has impacted on the formation and content of social and environmental policy in the member states, focusing on the four larger members: Germany, France, the UK and Italy. The contributors use theory and empirical evidence to highlight the factors that influence the formation and content of social policy and why some states have been able to resist EU social policy initiatives successfully and maintain their autonomy.