Full Description
This
book analyses Switzerland's European policies using the concept of
differentiated European integration, providing a new and original perspective
on the country. This analytical approach focuses on the similarities between
Switzerland's EU policies and the integration of EU member states. The latter
have often been the focus of research as Switzerland is the last Western
European country not to have become a member of the European Union (EU) or the
European Economic Area (EEA). The book claims that Switzerland's position on
the European integration map is different in terms of degree from many EU
member states, but not different in kind. The cornerstone of the book is new
empirical data quantitatively measuring Switzerland's differentiated
integration during the period 1990 - 2010. The data rely on the sectoral
agreements Switzerland concluded with the EU and the voluntary incorporation of
EU law into domestic legislation. The book shows, among other findings, that
over time Swiss European policies have begun to resemble integration policies
and that the more they did so, the more dynamically they evolved.
Contents
1. Introduction.- 2. Measuring Switzerland's differentiated integration.- 3. Institutional dynamics of Switzerland's differentiated integration.- 4. Political dynamics of Switzerland's differentiated integration.- 5. Conclusion.- Annex.
