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Journal of International Relations and Development
Volume 2, No. 2 (June 1999)
Special Issue: Lessons and Experiences from the European Union’s Latest Newcomers
by Bojko Bu_ar (Guest Editor)
This article aims to give an overview of Austria’s road to Brussels and of the domestic adjustments necessary for arriving and efficiently acting there. It argues that, while Austria has in the meantime successfully concluded the main adaptation processes, membership in the European Union (EU) has from the beginning involved a shake up of the national political system. The largely executive-made policy at the EU level faces an ever greater loss of parliamentary politics than that seen at the national level over the last few decades.
Most political and economic analysts would claim that Finland’s membership negotiation with the European Community/ies (EC) and adaptation to the European Union (EU) has been relatively successful. Finland was able to get a deal, which was accepted by the Finns, and on which the government was able to build a strategy of economic recovery. The author argues that in spite of certain unfulfilled expectations, notably in the field of agriculture, membership has had positive implications for Finland such as the increase of independence, diplomatic influence, economic growth, and international self-confidence. In the end, the prospects of other countries emulating the successful elements of Finland’s strategy are touched upon by pinpointing the similarities and differences between Finland and the Central and Eastern European candidates in their efforts to become members of the EU.
This article analyses the Europeanisation of Sweden and combines theoretical and empirical aims by seeking to draw out wider implications from this particular case with regard to the impact and limits of Europeanisation. An analytical framework is established in which the terms of Europeanisation and the domestic politics approach are defined and analysed. A distinction is made between dimensions of Europeanisation. The article also calls for a multidisciplinary approach to the study of Europeanisation to understand its multifaceted nature. It is shown that Sweden has in many ways been affected by processes of Europeanisation, but also that there are certain limits to this development. Public opinion and intra-party factionalism, endogenous factors, impose constraints on the freedom of action of policymakers. In conclusion, it is suggested that a cognitive and spatial separation and cultural differences are the most important limits to the further Europeanisation of Sweden.
This article deals with adjustments to the Austrian legal system due to Austria’s participation in European integration. Since this topic covers a wide range of issues, it proved necessary to establish priorities and concentrate on certain fields of law more than on others. Nevertheless, in order to present an overview of the necessary adaptations, the Austrian adjustment measures will be considered in the context of the four freedoms as the basic elements of the internal market, of competition policy and other EC policies. These areas have already been covered by the European Economic Area and involve most of the substantive European Community (EC) legislation to be implemented by Austria. Consequently, the whole complex of the constitutional aspects of legal adjustment in Austria had to be left out of these considerations. In the second part of the paper, after taking a brief look at the technical aspects of adjustment efforts, shortcomings in the implementation of EC law in Austria and some of the possible reasons will be addressed. Finally, it will be shown that the attitude of the Austrian courts towards European integration has developed very positively, with the courts substantially contributing to the effective incorporation of EC law in Austria.