EUROPEANIZATION: SIMPLY A TOP-DOWN PROCESS?

Abstract

There have been intense, wide-ranging, and confused debates about what Europeanization is in the field of European studies. Many interpret Europeanization from a 'top-down' perspective with an emphasis on the unidirectional impacts of European integration on member states. However, it is argued in this article this 'top-down' logic ignores the two-way interaction between domestic and EU level, and how European politics, policies and polities can be shaped by the domestic level. It is argued that Europeanization should not be understood solely as the effects of EU level on member states. It shows that the nature of Europeanization can be best captured with the combination of three approaches: downloading, uploading and crossloading. Hence, the article recommends an incorporated approach and its model that has the potential to provide a full understanding of what Europeanization is.