Un-solvable crises? Differential implementation and transboundary crisis management in the EU

Figures & data

Table 1. Modes of multilevel governance in the EU.

		Authority
		Decentralised	Centralised
Prescriptiveness	High	Governance by delegation	Governance by centralisation
		Centralised standards, decentralised information-gathering and decentralised behaviour-modification	EU-level agencies shape standards, oversee national agencies and engage in information-gathering and behaviour modification
		Advantages: adjusts to diversity across Member states while encouraging a consistency in goals	Advantages: establishes leadership responsibilities through formal authority
		Pathologies: limited interest in Member states to comply	Pathologies: information asymmetries and dealing with diversity
	Low	Governance by benchmarking	Governance by decentring
		Centralised indicators and recommendations, reliance in peer-review and decentralised information gathering and behaviour modification	Centralised, but co-produced binding codes/guidelines, decentralised behaviour-modification and information-gathering
		Advantages: limited adjustment costs reflect contexts of high diversity	Advantages: joint working across different stakeholders
		Pathologies: little coordinative capacity and potential problem of actual compliance with the intent of regimes	Pathologies: lack of central leadership, high differentiation

Table 2. Multilevel crisis governance arrangements and accountability biases.

	Crisis regime characteristics	Differential implementation concern
Banking resolution	Reliance on EU-level actors to develop standards enforcement and govern decision making	National ‘doom loop’ given incentives to provide for loose oversight over national banks leading to EU authority and high prescriptiveness
Invasive alien species	Reliance on risk-assessment driven ‘black list’ and national implementation	Concerns with national prioritisation over EU black list leading to use of ‘Regulation’ device
Electricity transmission networks	Reliance on industry-developed codes and industry-regulator implementation	Concerns with unequal capacity of different national transmission networks, with lack of coordination during crises, and with transferring authority to the supranational level
Youth unemployment	Reliance on indicators and criteria for funding	Concerns over differential administrative and budgetary capacities