How We Think of the EU: Theories Explaining the Fragility of the European Project: Neo-functionalism

Functionalism

• International institutions can address challenges more effectively than national institutions.

• As these institutions grow, they create a spillover effect, eventually becoming normative and gaining enforcement powers.

• In the short term, it is possible to separate technical competencies of international organisations from political questions. However, in the long term, this separation leads to deeper union.

Neo-functionalism

• Builds on functionalism, suggesting that international cooperation on technical issues can evolve to address political issues.

• Integration results from cooperation and competition among societal actors.

• Influenced by pluralism and functionalism.

European Commission

• Best represents neo-functionalism. No one in this institution is elected, making it a technocratic entity where expertise is prioritised.

• Handles regulations like food safety and digital markets, mediating massive tech giants like TikTok and Google.

Ernst Haas

• Mid-1970s: Main proponent of neo-functionalism declared the theory ‘obsolescent.'

Key Aspects of Neo-functionalism

• Efficiency of Economies of Scale

◦ Issues such as climate change and migration are tackled more effectively by a coalition of states, reducing the cost of legislation.

• Impartiality

◦ Experts, rather than politicians, should handle complex issues like climate change for long-term solutions. However, impartiality struggles with political decisions, e.g., the EU currency crisis.

• Spillover Effects

◦ Integration in one area stimulates deeper integration in others. For example, integrating coal and steel sectors necessitated integrating transport sectors.

Joseph Nye

• Argues that spillover is a limited tool, explaining certain integration processes but not accounting for the costs of integration, perceptions of external threats, and specific historical contexts.