The Europeanisation of Whitehall : UK Central Government and the European Union

It is some thirty-five years since the United Kingdom joined what is now called the European Union. What has been the impact of the EU on UK central government? Has it been transformed or merely adapted to new pressures and requirements? This book explores the ‘Europeanisation’ of the work of civil servants and ministers and how they engage with the EU. Drawing on fresh empirical evidence—including interviews with over 200 serving and retired officials and ministers—it offers a comprehensive analysis of the spreading impact of European integration across government. The study is placed in the context of political divisions over the European Union but the book outlines the often neglected way in which the EU has transformed the business of government. This account charts the process from the Macmillan government's 1961 application to join the European Communities through to the end of Tony Blair's premiership. The book examines the character and timing of responses across government, covering the core government departments and also those more recently affected, such as the Ministry of Defence. It argues that central government has organized itself efficiently to deal with the demands of EU membership despite the often controversial party-political divisions over Europe. However, in placing the book's findings in comparative context, the conclusion is that the effectiveness of UK governments in the EU has been less striking. What has been the impact of the EU on UK central government? This book explores the ‘Europeanisation'of the work of civil servants and ministers and how they engage with the EU. Drawing on fresh empirical evidence, the volume offers the first comprehensive analysis of the spreading impact of European integration across government. The study is placed in the context of political divisions over the EU but outlines the often neglected way in which the EU has transformed the business of government. It charts the process from the Macmillan government's 1961 application to join the European Communities through to the end of Blair's premiership. The book examines the character and timing of responses across government, covering the core government departments and also those more recently affected, such as the Ministry of Defence. The authors argue that central government has organized itself efficiently to deal with the demands of EU membership despite the often controversial party political divisions over Europe. However, in placing their findings in comparative context they conclude that the effectiveness of UK governments in the EU has been less striking. What has been the impact of the EU on UK central government? This book explores the?Europeanisation? of the work of civil servants and ministers and how they engage with the EU. Drawing on fresh empirical evidence, the volume offers the first comprehensive analysis of the spreading impact of European integration across government. The study is placed in the context of political divisions over the EU but outlines the often neglected way in which the EU has transformed the business of government. It charts the process from the Macmillan government?s 1961 application to join the European Communi Front matter Contents List of boxes List of figures List of tables Preface List of abbreviations Setting the scene The Europeanisation of UK central government: analytical challenges The EU framework for UK policy-making Approaching Europe: Europeanisation and accession The management of EU business in Whitehall: the hub The European Union and ‘inner core’ departments The European Union and the ‘outer core’ Understanding the impact of Europe Whitehall in comparative context Conclusion References Index This is a path breaking study of the European Union’s impact on UK central government. It is the first book to deal comprehensively with the EU’s impact on central government across the period from the UK’s first application to join in 1961 right up to the end of the Blair administration. -- . Providing a path-breaking analysis of the way EU membership has transformed the work of UK central government, this title is the definitive study of the impact of European integration upon UK central government, covering the period 1961 to 2007