Confronting theories of European integration: A comparative congruence analysis of veterinary drugs regulations in five countries

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice
,
vi, 457-474 S.
,
2014,

Sager, Fritz, Eva Thomann, Christine Zollinger, Céline Mavrot
ISSN: 1387-6988 (print); 1572-5448 (online)
DOI: 
10.1080/13876988.2014.960244
Abstract

This study moves beyond current perspectives of European Union implementation research to paint a comprehensive picture of the fine-tuning of domestic regulations beyond compliance. It compares the hitherto unexplored veterinary drug regulations of four member states, France, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom, with those of the non-member Switzerland. It links causal mechanisms back to three differing theoretical assumptions about European integration. These theories are confronted using congruence analysis in a comparative case study design. Evidence is found for historical institutionalism and for the domestic politics hypothesis. The assumption of a neo-functionalist development of regulations is only weakly supported.