Competing frames in the European Commission – the case of the defence industry and equipment issue

It is argued that frame competition plays an important part in EU policymaking, especially within the European Commission. The case of a cross-pillar issue, the issue of defence industry and equipment, shows how two frames - market and defence - compete on the legal and political approaches to this issue. Frame competition is something more than just conflicts of interests. It also functions as an important identity-building and sense-making process in multi-organizations, which are typified more by ambiguity and inconsistency than by clarity and consistency. By approaching the European Commission from a multi-organizational perspective, the frame competition process is regarded as an essential component in the cohesion process. The empirical analysis shows that framing is not static, but that frames can change and result in a reframing. By reframing the defence industry and equipment issue, the Commission has managed the conflict between the market and defence frames.