EU Rules Beyond its Borders: The Policy‐specific Effects of Transgovernmental Networks and EU Agencies in the European Neighbourhood

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is increasingly involved in its rule advancement outside its borders through a dense net of transgovernmental networks. However, we know little about the effects of these networks. This article assesses the impact of transgovernmental networks across various policy domains in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) region. Building on a novel longitudinal dataset, we demonstrate that the effects of transgovernmental networks vary across policy sectors. Policies marked by a higher degree of mutual interdependence exhibit greater positive change as a result of denser networks. Meanwhile, the involvement of EU agencies stimulates more intense technical co‐operation and broadens the range of policy areas covered. In doing so, EU agencies serve as bridges for the establishment of strong links between the EU and its neighbours.

Why Climate? The Drivers of the European Union’s Climate Governance in its Post-Soviet East European Neighbors

“…In contrast to democratization, EU regulatory transfer, and good governance, the topic of climate governance in the EU neighborhood is largely understudied. This is surprising since, just as with human rights and democratization, the EU has long been engaged in promoting environmental and climate norms in its neighborhood (e.g., Buzogány 2013;Shyrokykh and Rimkutė 2019). For example, environmental protection and climate policies (mostly mitigation-related) were among the cooperation objectives included in the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) signed between the EU and former Soviet republics in the 1990s.…”

“…According to this logic of external climate action, the EU's dependencies on third countries define its interests in the region and, as a result, EU foreign policy decisions. For example, interdependencies have been identified as the main driver of EU regulatory governance in its neighborhood (e.g., Lavenex 2015;Shyrokykh and Rimkutė 2019). Similarly, the literature suggests that self-interest might also define the EU's human rights governance (Kreutz 2015;Portela 2005) and democratization agendas (Bosse 2012).…”

“…More precisely, close neighbors have been exposed to the foreign policy instruments of the EU more regularly than other countries. In addition, the instruments of foreign policy are carefully chosen in relation to EU neighbors, as is demonstrated in existing works on human rights and democracy (e.g., Kreutz 2015;Portela 2005;Shyrokykh 2019), regulatory governance (e.g., Lavenex 2015;Lavenex and Kunz 2008;Shyrokykh and Rimkutė 2019), and good governance (e.g., Ademmer and Börzel 2013;Börzel and van Hüllen 2011).…”

Help your neighbor, help yourself: The drivers of European Union's climate cooperation in trans‐governmental networks with its neighbors

“…Most prior studies on trans‐governmental networks in (external) Europeanization literature focus on detecting and explaining the effects of such networks (e.g., Buzogány & Costa, 2009; Freyburg et al, 2011; Shyrokykh & Rimkutė, 2019). Much less attention has been paid to explaining why the EU engages in such cooperation in the neighborhood in the first place.…”

Twists and Turns of Democratic Transition and Europeanisation in East-Central Europe Since 1989: Betwixt EU Member and Neighbour State-Building

“…141 In addition to these sporadic and largely informal institutional engagement modalities, the EU's neighbour-states, including all the EaP6, have been incrementally involved in the operations of EU agencies. In 2007 to 2017 alone, the Eastern partners structured their relations with 142 As the only non-EU (ENP/EaP) country, Ukraine has also been cooperating, since 2016, with the European Defence Agency (EDA). Furthermore, the EaP6's varied participation in the EU's CSDP missions as well as generally high (as far as the EaP3 associates are regarded) alignment with the EU's CFSP declarations for over a decade now are irrefutable signs of increasing cooperation and a 'technocratic form of integration into the EU, a sort of de facto technocratic membership'.…”