Europeanization of Public Administration: Effects of the EU on the Central Administration in the Nordic States

• Main Authors: Lægreid, Per, Steinthorsson, Runolfur Smari, Thorhallsson, Baldur
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Stein Rokkan Centre for Social Studies 2002
• Subjects: VDP::Samfunnsvitenskap: 200; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1956/1426

This paper examines the Europeanization of the Public Administration in the Nordic countries and explores the apparent similarities and differences of the changes in the central administration due to EU and EEA membership. The focus is on Sweden and Finland, which recently have joined the European Union, and Norway and Iceland, which relationship to the European integration is based on the EEA treaty. The paper is based on a survey conducted in all ministerial departments and directorates in the Nordic countries. It describes the degree to which the daily operations of the central administration are affected by the EU/EEA regarding networks of contact and participation towards the EU; towards political leadership; changes in forms of organization, identities and relations of influence. There are significant differences in the adaptation patterns between EU members and EEA members, but also important differences between countries with the same form of affiliation to the EU. The adaptation pattern due to the EEA membership of Norway and Iceland seem to follow a somewhat different path. To understand this we have to add structural factors like the size of the public administration. Iceland has a much smaller and less specialized civil service. Also the institutional context of the domestic administrative tradition and strategy has to be taken into account. Iceland is the only Nordic state that has not applied for a membership of the EU. It is a latecomer in adaptation to European integration, the public administration has weaker experiences with international cooperation and its autonomy from political leaders has generally been lower than in the other countries. Dette paperet undersøker i hvilken grad sentralforvaltningene Finland, Sverige, Norge og Island endres som følge av endret tilknytningsform til EU. Paperet er basert på en survey som ble gjennomført til alle avdelinger i departementer og direktorater i de nordiske landene. Det undersøkes om det daglige arbeidet i sentraladministrasjonen er påvirket av ...