Informal power in regional organizations: the case of the EU

Abstract

The existing literature on informal policy in the European Union is a real strength of European studies, yet it fails to engage systematically with a discussion of power. This paper sets out to address this shortfall. Beginning with a contextual discussion of the literature on ‘formal’ policy‐making, it provides a comprehensive review of the existing literature on informal policy in the EU, arguing that even though power is not acknowledged within this literature that much of it promotes a view consonant with Lukes' first face of power. The paper then calls for scholars of power to engage more systematically with the EU, offering some initial thoughts from the work of Lukes, Crenson, Gaventa and Kronsell to show how a power‐based account would add considerably to our understanding.

Keywords:

• power
• Steven Lukes
• European Union
• faces of power controversy
• policy‐making

Notes

1. I am grateful for the comments of one of the anonymous reviewers on this point.

2. While the Community method can be seen as evolving from a treaty‐based understanding, as I go on to show, it also recognizes the importance of informal policy processes.

3. It is fair to say that his account becomes more ambiguous towards the end of his book when he sets out a number of different theories and models of the policy process, many of which by implication challenge or reject the very method and approach which he has set out earlier. Be that as it may, however, this is still the starting point on which any discussion of the EU policy process in formal terms would need to begin.

4. It is important to note that these are not antithetical trios since it is possible, and quite usual, for analyses of the EU to consider its social construction and its ‘pillar structure’ simultaneously. They refer to different realities. I am grateful to one of the anonymous referees for clarification on this point. Given that the cognitive pillar, which examines the impact of symbols (such as the European flag, anthem and passport) and the role of the EU in terms of the formulation of collective identity, is beyond the scope of this paper, I have not discussed it here.