Abstract
Differentiated integration (DI) and flexibility in implementation (FI) are two forms of differentiation that can be used to cope with heterogeneity among EU member states. Given the different ways in which they do so, this article asks whether DI and FI are alternatives for each other or whether they serve different functions in EU legislation. Based on a dataset that maps the occurrence of opt-outs and flexibility provisions in EU directives, the analysis shows that DI and FI tend to be used together. A qualitative analysis of directives that combine different levels of DI and FI shows that, within that overall pattern, DI is used to accommodate individual outliers, while FI is used to address widespread concerns among member states. This suggests that DI and FI are two forms of differentiation in the EU, which are used to address different aspects of a common underlying set of concerns.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 466-490 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | West European Politics |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Funding
This article is part of a project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 822304 (Project InDivEU–Integrating Diversity in the European Union; http://indiveu.eui.eu). The authors would like to thank Jan Pollex and Eva Thomann, as well as two anonymous WEP reviewers, for their comments on earlier versions.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Jan Pollex and Eva Thomann | |
| Horizon 2020 Framework Programme | 822304 |
| European Commission |
Keywords
- differentiated integration
- Differentiation
- European Union
- flexibility in implementation