IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/eeupol/v19y2018i4p684-706.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Intergovernmental or supranational integration? A quantitative analysis of pension recommendations in the European Semester

Author

Listed:
  • Mattia Guidi
  • Igor Guardiancich

Abstract

The European Semester, launched in 2011, enhances the coordination of macroeconomic policies among European Union member states. This article contributes to the lively scholarly debate on whether this policy-making cycle has empowered more the European supranational or intergovernmental institutions. Drawing on a new dataset covering all pension-related country-specific recommendations between 2011 and 2016, and employing an original quantitative method, we show that the Commission mainly follows a ‘technocratic’ approach in drafting its recommendations, which are grounded in objective indicators. As the Council refrains from systematically altering the recommendations’ logic, we conclude that, at least in pension policy, the Commission’s role in macroeconomic surveillance has been significantly strengthened in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Suggested Citation

  • Mattia Guidi & Igor Guardiancich, 2018. "Intergovernmental or supranational integration? A quantitative analysis of pension recommendations in the European Semester," European Union Politics, , vol. 19(4), pages 684-706, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:19:y:2018:i:4:p:684-706
    DOI: 10.1177/1465116518781029
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1465116518781029
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1465116518781029?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stefanie Bailer & Mikko Mattila & Gerald Schneider, 2015. "Money Makes the EU Go Round: The Objective Foundations of Conflict in the Council of Ministers," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 437-456, May.
    2. Ebbinghaus, Bernhard (ed.), 2011. "The Varieties of Pension Governance: Pension Privatization in Europe," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199586028.
    3. Pisani-Ferry, Jean, 2014. "The Euro Crisis and Its Aftermath," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199993338.
    4. Honaker, James & King, Gary & Blackwell, Matthew, 2011. "Amelia II: A Program for Missing Data," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 45(i07).
    5. Ferrera, Maurizio, 2005. "The Boundaries of Welfare: European Integration and the New Spatial Politics of Social Protection," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199284672.
    6. Crawford, Sue E. S. & Ostrom, Elinor, 1995. "A Grammar of Institutions," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 89(3), pages 582-600, September.
    7. Andrew Moravcsik, 1993. "Preferences and Power in the European Community: A Liberal Intergovernmentalist Approach," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 473-524, December.
    8. Bates, Douglas & Mächler, Martin & Bolker, Ben & Walker, Steve, 2015. "Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 67(i01).
    9. Garrett, Geoffrey, 1992. "International cooperation and institutional choice: the European Community's internal market," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(2), pages 533-560, April.
    10. Igor Guardiancich, 2016. "The ‘Leap’ from Coordination to Harmonization in Social Policy: Labour Mobility and Occupational Pensions in Europe," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(6), pages 1313-1331, November.
    11. Christopher J. Bickerton & Dermot Hodson & Uwe Puetter, 2015. "The New Intergovernmentalism: European Integration in the Post-Maastricht Era," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 703-722, July.
    12. Daniela Schwarzer, 2012. "The Euro Area Crises, Shifting Power Relations and Institutional Change in the European Union," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 3, pages 28-41, December.
    13. Barr, Nicholas, 2012. "Economics of the Welfare State," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 5, number 9780199297818.
    14. Giuseppe Carone & Per Eckefeldt & Luigi Giamboni & Veli Laine & Stéphanie Pamies Sumner, 2016. "Pension Reforms in the EU since the Early 2000's: Achievements and Challenges Ahead," European Economy - Discussion Papers 042, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    15. Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha & Clemens, Timo & Stoner, Deborah & Brand, Helmut, 2015. "EU Country Specific Recommendations for health systems in the European Semester process: Trends, discourse and predictors," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(3), pages 375-383.
    16. Claire A. Dunlop & Claudio M. Radaelli, 2016. "Policy learning in the Eurozone crisis: modes, power and functionality," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 49(2), pages 107-124, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gordana Matković & Katarina Stanić, 2020. "The Serbian Pension System In Transition: A Silent Break With Bismarck," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 65(225), pages 105-134, April – J.
    2. Scharpf, Fritz W., 2007. "Reflections on multilevel legitimacy," MPIfG Working Paper 07/3, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    3. Eric Tremolada & Carlos Tassara & Olivier Costa, 2019. "Colombia y la Unión Europea. Una asociación cada vez más estrecha," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 1101, October.
    4. Adam Martin & Matias Petersen, 2019. "Poverty Alleviation as an Economic Problem," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(1), pages 205-221.
    5. Seikel, Daniel, 2011. "Wie die Europäische Kommission Liberalisierung durchsetzt: Der Konflikt um das öffentlich-rechtliche Bankenwesen in Deutschland," MPIfG Discussion Paper 11/16, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    6. José Luis Castro-Montero & Edwin Alblas & Arthur Dyevre & Nicolas Lampach, 2018. "The Court of Justice and treaty revision: A case of strategic leniency?," European Union Politics, , vol. 19(4), pages 570-596, December.
    7. Lara Lopez & Fernando L. Vázquez & Ángela J. Torres & Patricia Otero & Vanessa Blanco & Olga Díaz & Mario Páramo, 2020. "Long-Term Effects of a Cognitive Behavioral Conference Call Intervention on Depression in Non-Professional Caregivers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-24, November.
    8. Gareth Davies, 2016. "The European Union Legislature as an Agent of the European Court of Justice," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 846-861, July.
    9. Philipp F. M. Baumann & Enzo Rossi & Alexander Volkmann, 2020. "What Drives Inflation and How: Evidence from Additive Mixed Models Selected by cAIC," Papers 2006.06274, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    10. Höpner, Martin, 2008. "Usurpation statt Delegation: Wie der EuGH die Binnenmarktintegration radikalisiert und warum er politischer Kontrolle bedarf," MPIfG Discussion Paper 08/12, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    11. Francesca Batzella, 2021. "The Role of the Commission in Intergovernmental Agreements in the Field of Energy. A Foot in the Door Technique?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 745-761, July.
    12. Obinger, Herbert & Starke, Peter, 2014. "Welfare state transformation: Convergence and the rise of the supply side model," TranState Working Papers 180, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    13. Austė Vaznonytė, 2020. "The rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU – Still an agenda-setter?," European Union Politics, , vol. 21(3), pages 497-518, September.
    14. Hristina RUNCHEVA TASEV & Milena APOSTOLOVSKA-STEPANOSKA & Leposava OGNJANOSKA, 2020. "Union based on the rule of law: the Court of Justice of the European Union and the (future of) European integration," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 11, pages 396-426, December.
    15. Torbjørg Jevnaker & Jørgen Wettestad, 2017. "Ratcheting Up Carbon Trade: The Politics of Reforming EU Emissions Trading," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 17(2), pages 105-124, May.
    16. Reinout A van der Veer & Markus Haverland, 2018. "Bread and butter or bread and circuses? Politicisation and the European Commission in the European Semester," European Union Politics, , vol. 19(3), pages 524-545, September.
    17. Brigitte Pircher & Mike Farjam, 2021. "Oppositional voting in the Council of the EU between 2010 and 2019: Evidence for differentiated politicisation," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(3), pages 472-494, September.
    18. Daniel Seikel, 2016. "Flexible Austerity and Supranational Autonomy. The Reformed Excessive Deficit Procedure and the Asymmetry between Liberalization and Social Regulation in the EU," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(6), pages 1398-1416, November.
    19. Fernando L. Vázquez & Lara López & Ángela J. Torres & Patricia Otero & Vanessa Blanco & Olga Díaz & Mario Páramo, 2020. "Analysis of the Components of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for the prevention of Depression Administered via Conference Call to Nonprofessional Caregivers: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-18, March.
    20. Nikolaos Zahariadis, 2013. "Winners and Losers in EU State Aid Policy," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 143-158, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:19:y:2018:i:4:p:684-706. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.