The external face of differentiated integration: third country participation in EU sectoral bodies

ABSTRACT

Below the surface of its central decision-making bodies, the European integration process has developed a dense web of transgovernmental ties that reach out to foreign regulators. Insofar as the latter gain formal participation rights in European Union (EU) regulatory bodies, this results into an external form of differentiated integration. Focusing on EU regulatory agencies, this contribution shows that external differentiation follows predominantly sector-specific functionalist dynamics that are only loosely coupled to Union overarching foreign policy prerogatives. In sum, these patterns highlight centrifugal dynamics of technocratic networking beyond the political confines of the EU's regional integration project.

KEY WORDS:

• Differentiated integration
• EU agencies
• external relations
• functionalism
• regulation
• transgovernmentalism

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the editors of this Special Issue, the three anonymous reviewers, Michael Buess as well as the participants at the ARENA Tuesday Seminar in February 2014 for their helpful comments on earlier versions of this contribution.

Notes

1 The EEA EFTA states have also access to the following types of Commission committees: expert groups (Article 99 EEA); comitology committees (Article 100 EEA); programme committees (Article 81 EEA); and other committees in specific areas (Article 101 EEA). In total, the EEA EFTA states have the right to participate in several hundred committees.

2 Europol was created as an intergovernmental organization in 1999 and converted into an EU agency in 2010. Its tasks comprise the collection, analysis and dissemination of criminal proceedings data.

3 EASA was created in 2003 with the goal to ensure high standards of air safety and environmental protection in European civil aviation.

4 Frontex was created in 2005 with the goal to co-ordinate high standards of EU external border control.

5 EFSA was created in 2002 with the task of risk assessment and communication on food and feed safety.

6 EMA (formerly EMEA) was created in 1995 with the task to prepare authorization of medicines and monitor their safety.

7 The EEA was created in 1990 with the task to supply information for development, decision, implementation and evaluation of environmental policy.

8 Over the last decade, the EU has set up 10 strategic partnerships with Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the United States.

9 Interview with EPA, 25 June 2013, and http://www.epa.gov/international/regions/Europe/Eupriorities.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/international/regions/Europe/Eupriorities.html (accessed 6 October 2014).

Additional information

Biographical note

Sandra Lavenex is professor of European and international politics at the University of Geneva.