Abstract
European Administrative Networks (EANs) are well-studied platforms of collaboration between national authorities. To understand EANs, the literature typically relies on few explanatory variables: network origins, objectives, and outputs. This external view of EANs leaves important questions unanswered, notably concerning power redistribution and regulators’ perception of EANs. This article highlights the importance of network internal structures as an explanatory variable for understanding EANs. We contend that internal structures are ‘opportunity structures’ for regulators to set agendas and share resources. We investigate the case of the European Competition Network (ECN)–a highly structured, hierarchical and formalized enforcement network–drawing on structured interviews with 15 National Competition Agencies (NCAs) carried out in 2014. We find that the ECN’s formal internal structures afford all NCAs access to the agenda, foster perceptions of effectiveness, and promote informal sharing of expertise outside the network. Future research should incorporate internal structures into analyses of administrative networks.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 571-590 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Journal of European Public Policy |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 10 Mar 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2021 |
Keywords
- AGENCIES
- Agenda-setting
- COMMUNITY
- COOPERATION
- DELEGATION
- EU
- European Administrative Networks
- European competition network
- GOVERNANCE
- INSTITUTIONS
- POLITICS
- REGULATORY NETWORKS
- UNION
- control
- effectiveness
- internal structures
Profiles
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Hussein Kassim
- School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies - Honorary Professorial Fellow
- Centre for Competition Policy - Member
- Policy & Politics - Member
- Political, Social and International Studies - Member
Person: Honorary, Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research