European Administrative Networks
The European Commission has limited competences and resources for steering the implementation of European Union (EU) policies. In order to overcome these deficiencies, the Commission and member states have established European Administrative Networks (EANs): networks of national administrative representatives.
Most of the literature relies on a positive narrative of EANs’ problem-solving abilities, finding they fulfill an important role in facilitating the implementation and enforcement of EU policies. However, their actual and independent role in EU implementation is not yet well understood nor explained.
Together with Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen (University of Copenhagen) and Ellen Mastenbroek (Radboud University Nijmegen) I am engaged in a research project to study European Administrative Networks. This project addresses a three-fold research gap in the literature, by asking: How do the functions, interaction modes, and impact of European Administrative Networks differ across policy areas? The role of EANs in EU implementation will be examined and compared for five policy areas; 1) health and 2) social welfare, 3) environment, 4) immigration and asylum and 5) internal market.
Applying Social Network Analysis we put these questions empirically to the test.
The Role of Administrative Networks in European Union Implementation was launched in autumn 2017 and is funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research. The project is dedicated to gain understanding on how EANs work and build empirical insights into their relational structure and impact.
the structure of interaction
Go through the various interaction modes and compare network structures across different kind of European Administrative Networks mapped out in our project.
Note: The bigger the node, the more a network member interacts with other members (degree centrality). The more hierarchical the network is, the more the structure resembles a star, with only few members at the core and others in the periphery of the network. The more connected a network is, the more horizontal interactions are, indicating higher levels of trust and lower transaction costs.
See our project website for more information here.