From learning to influence: the evolution of collaboration in European Administrative Networks

ABSTRACT

Most European Administrative Networks (EANs) have been operational for over two decades. Yet, our understanding of their evolution is limited. How do EANs evolve? I formulate two hypotheses, premised on the notion that networks help actors address collective action problems by establishing social capital, whose distribution in the network changes over time to respond to changed circumstances. Using a Bayesian network model of the structure of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) at two-time points (1998 and 2014), this paper shows that regulatory relationships shifted from being focused on learning to be aimed at achieving compromise in order to influence European policy-making. Rather than functional, static devices of rule harmonization, EANs are dynamic social networks that adapt to their changing environment. The paper provides a theoretical background and empirical approach to understand and analyse EANs evolution in different sectors.

KEYWORDS:

• European Regulatory Networks
• network evolution
• social capital
• Bayesian ERGMs
• coordination
• learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For data on regulators’ resources I rely on the report on national regulatory authorities’ staff resources released by ACER in 2016, https://bit.ly/2GQnzFP (last Accessed February 9, 2021). The ACER report groups regulators according to the number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff dedicated to the regulation of energy markets. The ACER document categorises regulators’ staff levels in six categories: ‘large’ (over 220 FTE); ‘medium-large’ (between 170 and 175 FTE); ‘medium’ (between 90 and 140 FTE); ‘medium-small’ (between 50 and 75 FTE); ‘small’ (between 12 and 50 FTE) and ‘micro’ (fewer than 12 FTE). For ease of exposition and analysis, I merged category ‘medium-large’ (comprising the energy regulatory authority of Italy and Spain) into ‘large’.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Francesca Pia Vantaggiato

Dr Francesca Pia Vantaggiato is a Lecturer in Public Policy.