Abstract
The integration and policymaking of the European Union (EU) are claimed to challenge Nordic cooperation as a separate ‘common order.’ Increasing interdependencies in the EU have forced all EU member states to collaborate and share sovereignty in an increasing number of policy areas. This article studies the coexistence of Nordic cooperation and European integration by taking a network approach. It analyses the extent to which Nordic members of European Administrative Networks ‘go Nordic’ to solve problems or exchange advice, information and best practices. Based on unique survey data on interactions related to the implementation of EU policies in Social Policy, Health and the Internal Market by national governmental organisations across the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), we use social network analysis to test for distinguishable patterns of Nordic cooperation. We find evidence to suggest that Nordic cooperation in the EU and EEA is best characterised by differentiated integration. The Nordic states tend to form a separate community for problem-solving and exchanging best practices, advice and information in Health and Social policy networks, but less so in SOLVIT, a network related to the Internal Market.
Highlights
Existing literature presents European integration as a major challenge to Nordic cooperation: As European integration has progressed, the Nordic political order has arguably lost some of its relevance (Olesen & Strang, 2016; Strang, 2016; Sverdrup, 1998)
Nordic interactions have proven rather resilient to European integration, contrary to the expectation formulated in existing literature (Olesen & Strang, 2016; Sverdrup, 1998)
Our study has shown that a strong Nordic community still exists within the broader European community when it comes to interactions concerning the implementation and enforcement of European Union (EU) rules
Summary
Existing literature presents European integration as a major challenge to Nordic cooperation: As European integration has progressed, the Nordic political order has arguably lost some of its relevance (Olesen & Strang, 2016; Strang, 2016; Sverdrup, 1998). We examine whether and how Nordic cooperation coexists with European integration by taking a network perspective. Three different expectations on Nordic cooperation concerning European integration can be derived from existing literature. European cooperation may inhibit Nordic cooperation by weakening the political will and opportunity to act regionally (Sverdrup, 1998). In line with theories on differentiated integration (Leruth, Gänzle, & Trondal, 2019; Schimmelfennig, Leuffen, & Rittberger, 2015), the strength of Nordic cooperation may differ across policy areas because of the varying degrees of institutionalisation through which integration has processed
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