Beyond the EU membership-non-membership dichotomy? Supranational identities among national EU decision-makers

Abstract

This article poses the following question: Do national civil servants attending EU committees evoke supranational loyalties that transcend preestablished national and sectoral identities? Multiple institutional affiliations often trigger multiple identities. However, certain identities - like supranationalism - are fostered under particular institutional conditions. Three hypotheses on supranationalism are proposed. First, supranationalism reflects the EU membership of each nation-state. Second, intensive and sustained participation on EU committees among national civil servants leads to supranational allegiances among the participants. Finally, supranationalism is associated with the general lack of national coordination prior to EU committee meetings. The empirical analysis employs survey data of 160 Scandinavian government officials with various experience from EU committees. Additionally, forty-seven face-to-face interviews supplement the survey data. The main empirical observations are twofold. First, pre-established allegiances tend to exceed supranational identifications among national civil servants attending EU committees. Second, supranational allegiances are primarily enacted among government officials from EU member states and among officials who participate intensively in EU committees. Less empirical support is provided for the argument that supranationalism reflects the lack of ex ante national co-ordination mechanisms.