The European Regulatory State

Abstract

In this chapter we will consider the following issues: what is meant by ‘the European regulatory state’ and what are its key developments; what explanations are offered for the growth of the EU as a regulatory area covering 25 Continental countries and still expanding its membership; is the EU moving from the use of more command or top-down forms of regulation towards softer methods in line with our accounts in previous chapters about the emergence of more de-centred regulatory processes in an increasingly complex and globalizing world; is the recent introduction of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) for benchmarking policies and policymaking in the various member states an indication of increased reliance on less hierarchical and law-based forms of governance within the EU; and, finally, what is the impact of the European regulatory state on the United Kingdom?