European Integration and its Limits: Intergovernmental Conflicts and their Domestic Origins

by Daniel Finke

Overview

Ever since its legal foundation in 1993 the European Union has been challenged by three concurring developments. Its decision making bodies were groaning under an increasing amount of legislative activity and pending Eastern enlargement was expected to further decrease law making efficiency. At the same time, European citizens grew increasingly wary towards EU politics and further integration. This book explains how European governments handled these challenges and, step-by-step, agreed on significant treaty reforms which eventually led to the signing of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2007.

Drawing on unique survey data the book provides a solid empirical analysis of the three most important Intergovernmental Conferences. It shows in how far voters and political parties have been able to influence European treaty reforms and it scrutinises the mechanisms underlying intergovernmental treaty negotiations in an ever growing Union. Ultimately, it explains European integration from Maastricht to Lisbon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780955820373
Publisher:	ECPR Press
Publication date:	07/01/2010
Series:	ECPR Monographs Series
Pages:	254
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.53(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Daniel Finke is a junior professor for political science at the University of Heidelberg. He received his doctorate at the University of Mannheim and his dissertation is a politico-economic analysis of Constitutional Politics in the European Union. His research on constitutional and comparative politics has been published in European Union Politics, the Journal of Common Market Studies, the Journal of European Public Policy, Political Studies, the Review of International Organizations and the Journal of Theoretical Politics. Currently, he is conducting a research project on 'European Legislative Responses to International Terrorism' as well as a project on legislative behaviour inside the European Parliament.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables vii

Chapter 1 Perspectives on European Integration 5

The Question 5

The Arguments 11

Agenda and Conflicts 12

Actors and Process 13

Positions 17

The Method 18

Chapter 2 The Conceptual Framework 23

The Calculus of European Treaty Reforms 23

Europe's Constitutional Quandary 23

Why Efficiency is Difficult to Attain 29

Legitimacy and Political Integration 42

A Cross-sectional Perspective 44

Patterns of Intergovernmental Conflict 47

Preferences 47

How Preferences Transform into Positions 50

The Origins of Governmental Reform Positions 55

The Process and Set of Relevant Actors 63

Relevant Actors 63

Procedural Constraints 67

Summary 70

Chapter 3 Patterns of Intergovernmental Conflict 73

Empirical Methodology 73

Spatial Models 73

Data 75

Model 78

Results 80

Governmental Positions 81

Substantial Interpretation 84

Summary 96

Chapter 4 A Short History of EU Treaty Negotiations 97

Amsterdam 97

Nice 106

Rome II 115

The Convention 126

Summary 131

Chapter 5 What Explains Governments' Positions on European Integration? 133

The Unitary Actor Assumption 134

The Economy 138

The Voters 143

Parties and Parliament 149

Discussion of Results 160

Chapter 6 The Effect of Nonseparable Preferences in EU Treaty Negotiations 167

Theoretical Relevance 167

Estimating the Nonseparability of Governmental Preferences 171

Simulation of Endogenous Change 183

Discussion of the Results 201

Chapter 7 Solving Europe's Constitutional Quandary 205

Steering the Fleet Through Heavy Waters 205

European Integration and its Limits 213

References 219

Appendix 231

Index 233