European Union Negotiations

The EU policy process is dependent on negotiations as a mode of reaching agreements on, and implementing, common policies. The EU negotiations differ from traditional international negotiations in several respects and this book presents a detailed analysis of the processes while examining their distinguishing features.
The authors explore the variety of negotiation processes, the continuity and institutionalization of negotiation processes as well as the involvement of a variety of actors besides governments, often linked in informal networks. Going beyond the common distinctions based on issue-areas or the EU as negotiation arena as opposed to negotiating actor externally, the authors explore the impact of different stages in the policy process and the nature of the external negotiating partner.

Ole Elgström is Professor of Political Science at Lund University. He has published articles on negotiation and mediation in the EU in the Journal of European Public Policy, Journal of Common Market Studies, International Negotiation, Scandinavian Political Studies and European Foreign Affairs Review. He is currently directing a research project entitled 'New ways to influence in international politics: New roles for the European Union?'. He is a board member of the ECPR Standing Group on the European Union, and of the Swedish Political Science Network on European Studies. Christer Jönsson is Professor of Political Science at Lund University. He is the author of Communication in International Bargaining (1990) and co-author of Organizing European Space (2000). He has written the chapter on 'Diplomacy, Bargaining and Negotiation' in the recent Handbook of International Relations (2002), and is currently directing a research project entitled 'Essence of diplomacy'. He has contributed numerous articles to edited volumes and to journals such as International Organization, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of European Public Policy, Millennium and European Journal of International Relations. In 1996-99 he served as President of the Nordic International Studies Association (NISA).

1. Introduction Christer Jönsson and Ole Elgström 2. Negotiations in Networks Christer Jönsson and Maria Strömvik 3. Consolidating 'Unobjectionable' Norms: Negotiating Norm Spread in the EU Ole Elgström 4. Negotiating Transparency: The Role of Institutions Bo Bjurulf and Ole Elgström 5. Reform Negotiations: The Case of CAP Malena Rosén and Magnus Jerneck 6. Compliance Bargaining Jonas Tallberg and Christer Jönsson 7. Negotiations in EU Committees Anders Sannerstedt 8. The EU as an International Negotiator Ole Elgström and Maria Strömvik 9. Setting the Global Trade Agenda: The EU and the Launch of the Doha-round Anders Ahnlid 10. The EU as Actor in International Relations: The Role of the External Environment for European Union Institutional Design Joakim Reiter 11. The EU and the United States: The Politics of 'Bi-Multilateral' Negotiations Michael Smith 12. The Cotonou Agreement: Asymmetric Negotiations and the Impact of Norms Ole Elgström 13. Breaking the Waves: The EU's Enlargement Negotiations with EFTA and Central and Eastern Europe Lykke Friis 14. Conclusion Christer Jönsson and Ole Elgström Index