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EuropeanisationintheEUNewMemberStates.AspectsandResearchAgendas
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themostcomplexandoverarchingprocessofcreationofanoveltypeofpolityin
Europe(Olsen2002:924).Theimportanceofthistypologycomesfromthefactthat
OlsenstressesthatthetermEuropeanisationreferstotheanalyticaltoolbeingable
todescribetheprocessofdomesticchangeresultingfromtheprocessofEuropean
integration.SuchchangesareoccurringwithintheEUandarealsoexportedelse-
where.Europeanisationisthereforeconnectedwithmorewidelydefinedresearchon
politicalchange.
TheconceptofEuropeanisationunderstoodasaformofEU-isationwasatfirst
developedintheseareaswheretheroleofsupranationalinstitutionsisthestrong-
est,particularlysowheretheEUlawhasadirecteffectatdomesticlevel.However,
asvariousresearchhasshowntheimpactoftheEuropeanintegrationondomestic
changeismuchbroaderandalsoaffectsareaswheretheEUinstitutionshaveno
strongcompetencetoact(GrazianoandVink2007;FeatherstoneandRadaelli2003).
WhatseemstobeclearfromthepresentedoverviewisthatEuropeanisationinthe
areaofEUstudiesfocusesondomesticchangeasaresultofthefunctioninginthe
broaderframesofEUpolity.ItisalsoclearthatthesignificanceofEuropeanisation
asanexplanatoryschemedependsonthetypeofEUpolitymodesofgovernance.
Thestrongestresultsandanimportantcontributiontoresearchcomefromtheareas
coveredbythesupranationalCommunitymethodingovernance.Lessstrictisthe
openmethodofcoordinationaswellasintergovernmentalproceduressuchasinthe
areaofcommonforeignpolicy.Asaresult,invariousareasofEuropeanintegration
theprocessofEuropeanisationwillhappendifferentlyaswellasbeingdifferently
defined.ThedefinitionofEuropeanisationofferedbyClaudioRadaelliseemtoaptly
graspthediscussedcomplexityoftheterm.Accordingtohim,itis:
(…)aprocessof(a)construction,(b)diffusionand(c)institutionalisationofformaland
informalrules,procedures,policyparadigms,styles,"waysofdoingthings”,andshared
beliefsandnormswhicharefirstdefinedandconsolidatedintheEUpolicyprocessand
thenincorporatedinthelogicofdomestic(nationalandsubnational)discourse,political
structure,andpublicpolicies(2000).
Asisvisible,whatisperceivedastheEU’simpactiswiderthanonlylegalnorms
informoftheEUlaw.OnecansaythatthetermEuropeanisationembracesorcan
embraceallsocial,politicalandeconomicaspectsofchangeswithincontemporary
society.Thus,itseemsthatoneclearandprecisedefinitionofEuropeanisationisnot
possible.Thishoweverdoesnotmeanthattheconceptisfutile.Onthecontrary,it
attractsscholars’attentiontothefactthatthecontemporarychangeswithinEurope
(andbeyondEuropeinsomecases)areinducedbywiderandmoreuniversalproc-
esses,andresearchontransformationofEuropemusttakethisintoaccount.AsJohan
Olsenputsit:"Europeanisationmay,however,turnouttobelessusefulasanex-
planatoryconceptthanasanattention-directingdeviceandastartingpointforfurther
exploration”(2002:943).