Policy networks and European union policy making: A reply to Kassim

Sterile Debates and Dubious Generalisations: European Integration Theory Tested by Telecommunications and Electricity

“…In a recent debate, for instance, Kassim (1994) argued for the inappropriateness of the policy networks approach for the study of European integration, basing his argument in part on the contention that its supporters relied too heavily on the exceptional case of European research policy, which could not be taken as representative (ibid., 23). In a reply, Peterson (1995) argued that, on the contrary, Kassim made his argument on the basis of work on European air traffic and competition policy, whose notable (and exceptional) absence of policy networks implied an inappropriate empirical bias for Kassim's conclusions (ibid.,394).…”

The Role of Policy Networks in the Coordination of the European Union’s Economic and Environmental Interests: The Case of EU Mercury Policy

“…The difficulties of delineating networks in the EU are well noted (Kassim 1994). However, Peterson (1995) argues that the fluidity and institutional complexity of the EU merely make this task difficult but nevertheless 'worth the effort'. We consequently adopt Kickert et al's (1997a, 1.3) definition of networks 'as (more or less) stable patterns of social relations between interdependent actors which take shape around policy problems and/or policy programmes'.…”

Sub‐national institutions and the new European governance: UK local authority lobbying strategies for the IGC

“…In spite of the importance of neo-functionalist writing in the 1960s, which highlighted the system supports behind European integration, it was institutions, interstate interactions and EU law that were the main subjects of study, supplemented by accounts of the politics of bureaucracies and parties. Recently, however, there has been a rapid increase in academic interest in lobbying (for example, Sargent, 1987;Greenwood et al, 1992;Gorges, 1993;van Schendelen, 1993;Kohler-Koch, 1994;Mazey and Richardson, 1994;McAleavey and Mitchell, 1994;Greenwood and Ronit, 1994;Anderson and Elliasen, 1995;Greenwood, 1995Greenwood, , 1997 and in policy networks of actors (Anderson, 1991;Peterson, 1995). Virtually all of these scholars replicate the methods of the classic interest group studies by being both descriptive and case-study driven, but the research generates two findings.…”