The Europeanisation of national administrations: Patterns of institutional change and persistence

Book abstract:

This book provides a comparative assessment of the factors influencing administrative adjustment to European policy demands in the Member States. It combines institution-based and agency-based approaches. A detailed account of the administrative impact of EU environmental policy in Britain and Germany is chosen as the vehicle by which comparisons can be delivered, offering as it does a high variety of regulatory strategies and instruments over a period of fifteen years.

Following on from the introduction part one gives the theoretical frame of reference, the analytical approach and methodological procedure. Part two provides a comparative overview of the two administrative systems being compared. The theoretical and analytical considerations are empirically tested in part three and in part four the empirical and theoretical findings are interpreted from a general perspective, exploring the validity of these findings in the context of other European policies.The study will be of particular interest to students, scholars and practitioners in the fields of European studies, public administration and public policy, environmental politics, and European administrative law.

Christopher Knill is Professor of European Studies at the University of Jena.