Universität zu Köln

Götz, Matthias (2018). In Search of Regulatory Compatibilities. The Constraints on the European Commission’s Strategies in Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

Preview

PDF Goetz_2018_In Search of Regulatory Compatibilities.pdf Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

The emergence of bilateral regulatory cooperation is one of the most notable trends in global governance. This book explains which factors constrain the formation and choice of a bilateral regulatory cooperation strategy. It deduces a new integrative theoretical framework, the Inter-relational Institutionalism, combining actor-centred institutionalism and the New Interdependence Approach. Moreover, it integrates existing conceptualisations of strategies into a new typology, differentiating strategies according to their ‘dimension’ and ‘depth’ into ‘regulatory alignment’, ‘equivalence’, ‘alignment of implementation procedures’ and ‘information exchange’. The Inter-relational Institutionalism developed in this book argues that the formation and choice of a bilateral regulatory cooperation strategy is constrained by three factors: the presence of bureaucratic pressure, the compatibility of regulatory institutions and the mobilisation of societal actor. Whereas bureaucratic pressure initiates the formation of a strategy, the supportive mobilisation of societal actors drives its adoption. The distribution of compatibilities of regulatory institutions, i.e. ‘regulatory authority structures’ and ‘regulatory principles’, between the domestic and the foreign jurisdiction constrain the choice among the strategies. The theoretical framework is empirically tested in four sectoral case studies for the strategy choice of the European Commission in regulatory cooperation with the United States: chemicals, engineering, food safety and ICT. It uses a comparative case study design and examines strategies during the New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA), the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, builds on document analysis and 26 expert interviews conducted between 2015 and 2017. Theoretically, this book refines the conceptualization of domestic constraints in international cooperation and specifies an alternative micro-foundation for the engagement of state actors in international cooperation. Empirically, it implies that downward pressure on consumer safety, health and environmental protection as a result of regulatory cooperation is unlikely whereas administrative efficiency is enhanced.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Götz, Matthias matthiasscc.goetz@googlemail.com UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-91232
Date:	2018
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences
Divisions:	Weitere Institute, Arbeits- und Forschungsgruppen > Department of Political Science and European Affairs
Subjects:	Political science
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language New Interdependence Approach English Actor-centred institutionalism English compatibility English regulatory institutions English regulatory cooperation English Transatlantic politics English chemicals English engineering English food safety English ICT English
Date of oral exam:	4 June 2018
Referee:	Name Academic Title Wessels, Wolfgang Prof. Dr. Damro, Chad Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/9123