IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jcmkts/v58y2020i3p654-671.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Networks as First Best? Network Entrepreneurship and Venue Shifting in the Establishment of the Network of Euro–Mediterranean Energy Regulators

Author

Listed:
  • Francesca Pia Vantaggiato

Abstract

Regulators often play a leading role in establishing their informal networks yet regulatory networks are usually considered a second‐best instrument of policy integration. They have no decision‐making powers and unclear policy impact. Why then do regulators initiate networks? The article shows that regulators form networks to shift the venue of policy discussion from a formal setting, dominated by policy‐makers, to an informal one, where they share agenda‐setting power with their peers only. Regulators forming networks are network entrepreneurs, for whom the establishment of the network is a policy goal in itself. Bolstered by previous positive networking experiences, network entrepreneurs consider networks the best instrument for influencing policy. The article analyses the empirical case of the network of energy regulators of the Euro–Mediterranean (MedReg, established in 2006) using elite interviews with 20 stakeholders. The findings hold implications for our understanding of informal regulatory collaboration in the EU and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Pia Vantaggiato, 2020. "Networks as First Best? Network Entrepreneurship and Venue Shifting in the Establishment of the Network of Euro–Mediterranean Energy Regulators," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(3), pages 654-671, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:58:y:2020:i:3:p:654-671
    DOI: 10.1111/jcms.12956
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12956
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jcms.12956?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. Newman, Abraham L., 2008. "Building Transnational Civil Liberties: Transgovernmental Entrepreneurs and the European Data Privacy Directive," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 62(1), pages 103-130, January.
    2. Paul James Cardwell, 2011. "EuroMed, European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean: Overlapping Policy Frames in the EU's Governance of the Mediterranean," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(2), pages 219-241, March.
    3. Haikel Khalfallah, 2015. "Connecting Mediterranean Countries through Electricity Corridors: New Institutional Economic and Regulatory Analysis," Post-Print hal-01111432, HAL.
    4. Simone Tagliapietra & Georg Zachmann, 2016. "Energy across the Mediterranean- a call for realism," Bruegel Policy Brief 14028, Bruegel.
    5. Ian Manners, 2002. "Normative Power Europe: A Contradiction in Terms?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 235-258, June.
    6. Khalfallah, Haikel, 2015. "Connecting Mediterranean countries through electricity corridors: New Institutional Economic and regulatory analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 45-54.
    7. Andreas Goldthau & Nick Sitter, 2015. "Soft power with a hard edge: EU policy tools and energy security," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 941-965, October.
    8. Ole Danielsen & Kutsal Yesilkagit, 2014. "The Effects of European Regulatory Networks on the Bureaucratic Autonomy of National Regulatory Authorities," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 353-371, September.
    9. Maltby, Tomas, 2013. "European Union energy policy integration: A case of European Commission policy entrepreneurship and increasing supranationalism," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 435-444.
    10. Padgett, Stephen, 2012. "Multilateral institutions, accession conditionality and rule transfer in the European Union: the Energy Community in South East Europe," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(3), pages 261-282, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rubino, Alessandro, 2021. "The political economy of Euro - Mediterranean cooperation in the gas market: The role of domestic stakeholders and the European Commission," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).

    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. Mehdi Abbas & Catherine Locatelli, 2019. "Interdependence as a lever for national hybridization: The EU-Russia gas trade [L’hybridation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l’interdépendance. Les échanges gaziers UE-Russie]," Post-Print hal-02472141, HAL.
    2. Sandra Lavenex & Marja‐Liisa Öberg, 2023. "Third Country Influence on EU Law and Policy‐making: Setting the Scene," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(6), pages 1435-1453, November.
    3. Catherine Locatelli, 2018. "La confrontation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l'interdépendance : les échanges gaziers UE-Russie," Working Papers hal-01715932, HAL.
    4. Mišík, Matúš, 2016. "On the way towards the Energy Union: Position of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia towards external energy security integration," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 68-81.
    5. Rubino, Alessandro, 2021. "The political economy of Euro - Mediterranean cooperation in the gas market: The role of domestic stakeholders and the European Commission," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    6. Jebali, Eya & Essid, Hédi & Khraief, Naceur, 2017. "The analysis of energy efficiency of the Mediterranean countries: A two-stage double bootstrap DEA approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 991-1000.
    7. Locatelli, C., 2018. "La confrontation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l'interdépendance : les échanges gaziers UE-Russie," Working Papers 2018-03, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    8. Guler, Burak & Çelebi, Emre & Nathwani, Jatin, 2018. "A ‘Regional Energy Hub’ for achieving a low-carbon energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 376-385.
    9. Poudineh, Rahmatallah & Rubino, Alessandro, 2017. "Business model for cross-border interconnections in the Mediterranean basin," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 96-108.
    10. Escribano, Gonzalo & Paredes-Gazquez, Juandiego & San-Martín, Enrique, 2020. "The European Union and the good governance of energy resources: Practicing what it preaches?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    11. Engelken, Maximilian & Römer, Benedikt & Drescher, Marcus & Welpe, Isabell M. & Picot, Arnold, 2016. "Comparing drivers, barriers, and opportunities of business models for renewable energies: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 795-809.
    12. Tanja Börzel, 2010. "European Governance: Negotiation and Competition in the Shadow of Hierarchy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 191-219, March.
    13. Paula Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik & Sandra Lavenex & Philipp Lutz, 2023. "Expanding, Complementing, or Substituting Multilateralism? EU Preferential Trade Agreements in the Migration Regime Complex," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 49-61.
    14. Peter Viggo Jakobsen, 2009. "Small States, Big Influence: The Overlooked Nordic Influence on the Civilian ESDP," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 81-102, January.
    15. Yannis Papadopoulos, 2018. "How does knowledge circulate in a regulatory network? Observing a European Platform of Regulatory Authorities meeting," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(4), pages 431-450, December.
    16. Adler, Emanuel & Crawford, Beverly, 2004. "Normative Power: The European Practice of Region Building and the Case of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP)," Institute of European Studies, Working Paper Series qt6xx6n5p4, Institute of European Studies, UC Berkeley.
    17. Odysseas Christou, 2021. "Energy Security in Turbulent Times Towards the European Green Deal," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(3), pages 360-369.
    18. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i:s4:p:85-93 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Anna Michalski, 2013. "Europeanization of National Foreign Policy: The Case of Denmark's and Sweden's Relations with China," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(5), pages 884-900, September.
    20. Armin Ibitz, 2015. "Towards a global scheme for carbon emissions reduction in aviation: China’s role in blocking the extension of the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 113-130, June.
    21. Locatelli, C. & Abbas, M., 2019. "Interdépendance complexe et hybridation des modèles institutionnels nationaux : le cas des relations énergétique UE-Russie," Working Papers 2019-02, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:bla:jcmkts:v:58:y:2020:i:3:p:654-671. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0021-9886 .

    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.