European networks, domestic governance and the second-order effects of Brexit

Abstract

This article explores the meaning of European network membership for state, sub-state and non-state actors in the UK. We adopt a comparative research approach to investigate how different UK-based actors use European structures to advance their domestic agendas, taking the Employment Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Women’s Lobby’s Observatory on Violence Against Women as case studies. We analyse new empirical data from interviews with policy actors to identity and explore resource dependencies between network actors. Our findings reveal a range of resource dependencies acting to bind actors within European networks, with the nature and significance of these dependencies varying across network/actor types. We argue that European network membership has notable implications for domestic governance which highlights a range of considerations for domestic governance in the UK post-Brexit.