New publication: "Differentiated policy implementation in the European Union"
Not only, but particularly since Brexit, 'national self-determination' is back on everyone’s lips. Consequently, Differentiated Integration has garnered increased scholarly attention, focusing on the analysis of opting in or out of EU policies, or committing to them at varying speeds. However, the present article takes this discussion a step further. In a recent publication in West European Politics, Asya Zhelyazkova, Eva Thomann, Eva Ruffing, and Sebastiaan Princen take the concept of Differentiated Policy Implementation (DPI) center stage.
DPI encompasses the diverse ways in which EU member states exercise discretion during policy implementation processes, resulting in a plethora of outcomes. Because even in the absence of differentiated integration, EU member states have extensive discretion when implementing EU law. This leads to an immense diversity of legal and practical policy solutions in EU member states and differences in citizens’ experience of EU policies. Thus, DPI provides and avenue to study how European integration works in practice, during policy implementation. Zhelyazkova et al. make a convincing case to consider DPI as a crucial aspect of EU governance, urging researchers to take it seriously as a significant avenue for differentiation within the EU.
To facilitate this, the authors provide a valuable starting point by conceptualizing DPI, relating it to DI, and identifying the most important patterns, causes, and consequences of DPI in offering insights into how it affects the effectiveness of EU rules in practice and citizens' perceptions of EU policies. By analyzing the drivers of DPI, such as discretion, alignment with domestic factors, responsiveness to domestic politics, functional drivers and administrative and economic capacity, the issue sheds light on the complex dynamics at play within the EU. The authors also describe the process of DPI feeding back into EU policy-making.
Moreover, this special issue highlights the interconnectedness between DPI and DI. They suggest that studying these phenomena together, rather than in isolation, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of differentiation within the EU. Per the authors, DPI is not just about compliance; it encompasses the broader political and policy processes within the EU's multilevel governance framework. It serves as an alternative to the more commonly known Differentiated Integration, accommodating the diverse preferences, capacities, and conditions of member states.
The special issue opens up avenues for future exploration, promising to advance our understanding of EU policymaking and implementation processes. If you're intrigued by how the discretion of member states may affect the outcomes of EU policies in practice, this special issue is a must-read.
Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2023.2257963