Europeanization and the Southern Periphery

Europe's southern periphery, where EU adaptation has been especially intense and sometimes difficult, provides particularly rich material for investigating "Europeanization". The region offers case studies of the EU impact on first and second-generation member states as well as current candidates for EU membership. The European dynamic is also fundamental to understanding contemporary southern Europe. In recent decades EU membership, as reality or aspiration, has provided a central orientation for south European democracies, economies and societies. The EU's Single Market programme has enforced a series of market-liberalizing reforms on southern Europe. The onset of a single European currency has imposed a fiscal and monetary discipline on their economies. At the same time, the commitment to "cohesion" offers these states important sources of funding to upgrade their infrastructure. "Europeanization" is a term increasingly used in the social sciences to describe the impact, convergence or response ofpoliticians (and civil servants) and institutions in relation to the European Union. Its increasing currency is a symptom of the broadening and deepening of the European integration process at the turn of the century. Its usage implies a common understanding, yet it is applied in a variety of different ways. This volume explores the concept in a variety of different settings in order to clarify its meaning.

Carles Boix is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago Quim Brugue is Lecturer of Political Science at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB). Michelle Cini is Jean Monnet Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, University of Bristol Kevin Featherstone is Professor of European Politics and Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration in the Department of European Studies, University of Bradford. Marco Giuliani is Associate Professor in Comparative Politics at the University of Milano Ricard Goma is Lecturer of Political Science at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona David Hine is a Fellow of Christ Church, Oxford P.C. Ioakimidis is Professor of European Policy and Institutions, Department of Political Science, University of Athens George Kazamias is Lecturer in the Department of European Studies, University of Bradford Jose M. Magone is Lecturer in European Politics in the Department of Politics and Asian Studies, University of Hull George Pagoulatos is Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics in the Department of International and European Economic Studies, Athens University of Economics and Business Spyros Sofos is Senior Research Fellow at the European Research Centre, Kingston University Joan Subirats is Professor of Political Science at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and Visiting Professor at the University of California (Berkeley) Mehmet Ugur is Jean Monnet Senior Lecturer in Economics and European Integration at the University of Greenwich