IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/poango/v13y2025a10474.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Policy as a Driver of Integration: Spillover Effects and European Commission Empowerment

Author

Listed:
  • Sebastian Heidebrecht

    (Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria)

Abstract

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the global impact of the pandemic brought digital technology to the forefront of geopolitical strategy and geo-economic considerations, prompting European policymakers to embrace strategic autonomy and digital sovereignty. While existing scholarship has examined EU rhetorical and policy responses, its institutional dynamics have received less attention. This article addresses this gap by examining the growing political influence of the European Commission in terms of both its breadth (the range of issues it engages with) and depth (its decision-making authority). Using primary and secondary sources together with expert interviews, the study reveals that the EU responded to geopolitical threats in two key policy areas: digital service regulation (Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act) and allocating digital-related financial resources in the context of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Based on recent theoretical advances regarding EU geo-politicalisation and its geo-economic shift, the article argues that the increased power of the Commission is a result of neofunctional processes broadening its influence. However, this dynamic is more evident in the context of digital service regulation than in the context of financial resources. By analysing this transformation, the study offers a new perspective on the emergence of a more empowered and geopolitically assertive Commission in the era of transnational data governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Heidebrecht, 2025. "Digital Policy as a Driver of Integration: Spillover Effects and European Commission Empowerment," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 13.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v13:y:2025:a:10474
    DOI: 10.17645/pag.10474
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/10474
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17645/pag.10474?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. Haas, Ernst B., 1958. "The Challenge of Regionalism," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(4), pages 440-458, October.
    2. Schmitter, Philippe C., 1970. "A Revised Theory of Regional Integration," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(4), pages 836-868, October.
    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. Andrea Bonilla‐Bolaños, 2021. "A step further in the theory of regional integration: A look at the South American integration strategy," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 845-873, July.
    2. Lynn Krieger Mytelka, 1975. "Fiscal Politics and Regional Redistribution," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 19(1), pages 138-160, March.
    3. Halmai, Péter, 2024. "Mélyintegráció-paradigma [Deep-integration Paradigm]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(5), pages 514-558.
    4. Angélique Palle & Yann Richard, 2022. "Multilevel Governance or Scalar Clashes: Finding the Right Scale for EU Energy Policy," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 113(1), pages 1-18, February.
    5. Manuel Enverga, 2018. "Comparing ASEAN and the EU’s implementation of cultural projects: a historical institutionalist analysis," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 65-80, March.
    6. Tobias Lenz & Besir Ceka & Liesbet Hooghe & Gary Marks & Alexandr Burilkov, 2023. "Discovering cooperation: Endogenous change in international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 631-666, October.
    7. Roel Beetsma & Marco Buti & Francesco Nicoli, 2025. "EU Defense Union: Short-Term Feasibility and Long-Term Coherence," EconPol Forum, CESifo, vol. 26(03), pages 22-28, July.
    8. Diana Panke, 2020. "Regional cooperation through the lenses of states: Why do states nurture regional integration?," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 475-504, April.
    9. Tanja A. Börzel, 2023. "European Integration and the War in Ukraine: Just Another Crisis?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(S1), pages 14-30, September.
    10. Lisbet Hooghe & Gary Marks, 2005. "The Neofunctionalists Were (almost) Right: Politicization and European Integration," The Constitutionalism Web-Papers p0024, University of Hamburg, Faculty for Economics and Social Sciences, Department of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Science.
    11. Dyevre, Arthur & Lampach, Nicolas, 2018. "The origins of regional integration: Untangling the effect of trade on judicial cooperation," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 122-133.
    12. Godehardt, Nadine & Lembcke, Oliver W., 2010. "Regionale Ordnungen in politischen Räumen. Ein Beitrag zur Theorie regionaler Ordnungen [Regional Orders in Political Spaces. A Contribution to the Theory of Regional Orders]," GIGA Working Papers 124, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:cog:poango:v13:y:2025:a:10474. 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: António Vieira or IT Department (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com .

    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.