European Integration
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The research group is embedded in the European Studies program at IHK and facilitates collaboration and shared reflection between in-house researchers on issues related to the history and politics of the European Union (EU) and Europe broadly conceived. Characterized by its interdisciplinary nature and outlook, its scholarly focus revolves around the analysis of the process of European integration, political, economic, societal and security developments in Europe and the EU, as well as issues related to cooperation and conflict.
Drawing on the methodologies, concepts and theoretical schools of thoughts of disciplines and subdisciplines as diverse as Political Science, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Contemporary History, and Area Studies, the Research Group unites expertise on areas such as: political, diplomatic and transnational history of 20th century Europe; history of European integration; democracy and the rule of law after World War II; public opinion towards European integration; party politics; regional and sub-national politics in the EU (minority nationalism and regional economic development); state actors, bilateral relations and European cooperation; differentiated integration (Norway-EU relations; EFTA); transnational societal actors; EU institutions; women in European political integration; European foreign and security policy; EU external relations; global identity of the EU; EU norms diffusion; EU eastern (Eastern Europe and South Caucasus) and southern neighborhood (Middle East and North Africa).
The menu to the left shows the Department's active research groups in European studies; a selection of research projects can be found below.
Ongoing Research
Eliane Vogel-Polsky var en belgisk advokat som på 1970-tallet brakte flere arbeidsrettssaker inn for EF-domstolen. Resultatet ble at Domstolen slo fast at Roma-traktaten ga individuelle rettigheter som skulle respekteres, av EFs medlemsland og i arbeidslivet. Dommene i Defrenne regnes i dag som milepæler i EU-retten, og Eliane Vogel-Polsky løftes stadig oftere frem som en helt sentral aktør i utviklingen av et sosialt Europa.
Viktoriya Fedorchak. This is an ongoing work that concentrates on the traditional role of air power – control of the air and its modern implementation in different operational settings, national practice and conceptualization of future warfare in various scenarios.
The recent publication within this framework is the article ‘Ireland in the Contemporary Strategic Environment: The Case in Favour of Air Policing’ , published December 3, 2020 in the Defence Forces Review 2020. The geopolitical location of Ireland between two NATO members poses additional challenges to its security today. This tendency is best illustrated by the regular penetration of Irish-controlled airspace by Russian fighters and bombers. This article discusses the current challenges of protecting the national airspace and the crucial importance of air policing in ensuring the security of Ireland.
Lise Rye, Carine S. Germond og Pieter de Wilde. 'The Norwegian model in perspective’ er et treårig prosjekt finansiert av EUs Erasmus+ program. Prosjektet undersøker ulike former for tilknytning til EU med særlig fokus på opprinnelse, omfang og demokratiske konsekvenser. Les mer her
Lise Rye. Det finnes ikke én historie om EU. Spørsmålet om hvordan og hvorfor EU-samarbeidet har utviklet seg vil gi ulike svar, avhengig av hvem du spør, og hvilket perspektiv de legger an. For noen er det et økonomisk samarbeid som har gått for langt, for andre er det et solidaritetsprosjekt som kommer til kort. Det er håpet om en bedre fremtid, og en fullkommen fiasko, alt til samme tid. Vi vet ikke hvilken vei EU vil ta i fremtiden. I en tid hvor krisene står i kø, både utenfor samarbeidet og på innsiden, vet vi ikke en gang om det vil finnes et EU i fremtiden. Men, med mer kunnskap om EUs mange sider, har vi i det minste et bedre grunnlag for å vurdere hvorvidt vi vil investere i dette samarbeidet eller ikke. Dette bokprosjektet identifiserer og diskuterer noen av de sentrale dimensjonene ved EU-samarbeidet slik de har utviklet seg over tid. Den er et bidrag til diskusjonen om hva EU er og hvordan dette samarbeidet kan forklares, og – forhåpentligvis – et grunnlag for videre diskusjon om verdien av forpliktende internasjonalt samarbeid.
Carine S. Germond. Farmers in Brussels. Farm Interest Groups and the Common Agricultural Policy
The project explores the lack of reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by analysing the role and influence of organized farm interests. In exploring how and why farmers were able to prevent CAP reforms, it traces the institutional and ideational Europeanisation of farm interests; explores the effects of these changes on farmers’ strategies for collective action, and assesses their impact on the CAP.
Carine S. Germond. This project casts novel light on women as neglected, ignored or hidden actors of political integration in Europe with a two-pronged, policy and institutional, focus. Part of this project focuses on the gendered role(s) and transnational mobilization of women in agriculture. A second focus lies in the role of female MEPs as parliamentary trailblazers for women in the EP.
In European politics euroscepticism and negative attitudes towards immigration often go hand in hand. Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, Alternative für Deutschland in Germany and UKIP in the UK are all examples of this. Why has this connection become so strong? On the other hand, a corresponding connection between positive attitudes towards the EU and immigration does not seem to be as evident.
In my PhD project I set out to explore what contributes to create linkages between attitudes towards the EU and towards migration. To better understand why migration, particularly immigration, has become so important in debates on issues related to the European Union in recent years I ask: How is migration framed within the context of EU issues and who contributes in establishing these frames? My project aims to answer these questions by studying three cases: the Brexit referendum in 2016, the Danish referendum om the justice and home affairs opt-out in 2015 and the two Irish referenda on the Lisbon Treaty in 2008 and 2009.
Lise Rye. I denne boken undersøker jeg norsk europapolitikk over tid, fra krigstidas planer for nordisk union til dagens EØS-tilknytning. Hvordan endte nei-landet Norge opp som EUs mest integrerte ikke-medlem? Hvorfor gir ikke EØS-avtalen politisk medbestemmelse? Hva var det egentlig som skjedde i forholdet mellom Norge og EU mellom de to folkeavstemningene? Boken gir ny kunnskap om den aktive europapolitikken, opprettelsen av EØS, norsk europadebatt, EFTA, og om forholdet mellom økonomisk og politisk integrasjon.
Pieter De Vilde, Lise Rye, Anna Gora og Kristine Graneng. RECONNECT er et Horisont 2020-finansiert prosjekt som søker å bygge bro over avstanden mellom unionen og dens innbyggere. Prosjektet undersøker mer konkret oppfatninger av demokrati og rettsstat slik de kommer til uttrykk i Europa i dag. Hvordan kan vi forstå og forklare innbyggernes forståelser av disse prinsippene, og i hvilken grad samsvarer de med EU-systemets egen tolkning og praktisering? På grunnlag av denne kunnskapen er målet å skrive et nytt narrativ for Europa, som reduserer avstanden mellom innbyggernes forventninger og bekymringer på den ene siden, og EUs virkemåter og politikk på den andre.
RECONNECT ledes fra KU Leuven og bringer sammen forskere fra 18 institusjoner i 14 land.
Carine S. Germond. The project investigates the historical involvement of experts in debating agricultural policy for Europe in European and global international organizations (IOs). It explores the work, activities and transnational networks of experts, their contribution to diffusing and transferring policy ideas within, across and beyond IOs, and their ability to convert expertise into political and societal influence.
TRUST IN EUROPEAN GOVERNANCE (TRUST) seeks to explain and refine our understanding of the role played by trust in European governance, historically and in the present day. Trust, but also its opposite manifestations – mistrust and distrust –, are key elements of cooperation between Europeans and their governing institutions. Trust is a cornerstone of public support for these institutions and facilitates cooperation, both of which are essential for a variety of European actors, groups and institutions. At the same time, mistrust towards and among political and economic elites has led to the creation of some of Europe's most powerful supranational institutions.
Viktoriya Fedorchak. This was 2-year work on the textbook ‘Understanding Contemporary Air Power’ for teaching air power to both civilian and military audiences, culminating in the publication by Routledge, on April 22, 2020. This work is aimed to explain air power systematically, addressing its diverse roles in various types of operations: conventional (inter-state) wars, peace-support operations, and counterinsurgencies. The textbook also addresses the key factors that make successful air power: people, technologies and political will. Other topics covered in the book are the complexity of media coverage of air warfare, changing public perceptions of air power, structuring national air forces and the future of air power. One of the enduring themes discussed in the book is inter-service and cross-domain integration, emphasizing the increasingly important role of cyber and space domains in the future of network-centric warfare.
A series of follow-up presentations and lectures linked to the textbook will take place in 2021.
Carine S. Germond. This project explores in particular the roles of the EP’s political groups and standing committees in co-shaping EU integration and policies. A first part-project explores the contribution of the Group of the European People’s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament and its contributions to European integration. A second part-project examines the contribution of the EP AGRI Committee to agricultural policy reform.