The index of EU Competencies is a comprehensive dataset on the distribution of authority between the EU and member states across policy fields, and on the ideological content of primary and secondary legislation. Based on a survey of experts from a variety of academic fields, the index covers nine broad policy areas between 1957 to 2014. The index provides information on three main areas of research.
Firstly, it is a measure of the pace of Europeanisation, providing information on the distribution of authority between national and EU institutions. Unlike treaty-based measures of Europeanisation, this new data allows for a longitudinal assessment of the pace of Europeanisation by Treaties and at five-year intervals since the creation of the European Economic Community.
Secondly, the expert survey also provides data on the ideological leaning of EU legislation, allowing researchers to supplement existing studies of how national actors shape European integration by evaluating how European integration in turn shapes countries by promoting specific ideological orientations in different policy fields and time periods. The expert survey includes assessments of the ideological direction of both primary and secondary EU legislation, over time and across policy areas.
Thirdly, the dataset also provides information on cross-national variation on the impact of EU competencies, both for ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ processes. The survey rates EU member states in terms of levels of Europeanisation in their policy specialism as well as to point out any consistent agenda-setters and less effective member states. This allows for useful cross-country comparisons of the scope and effect of EU policy-making.
This website will provide updates on the EU Policy Competencies Index project. Our data is freely available for research. We will also use this website to share the research progress.