Non‐compliance and the European commission's role in integration

Abstract

Abstract A crucial but relatively neglected area for the analysis of the role of the European Commission in European integration is the Commission's monitoring function. The examination of member states’ violations of their Treaty obligations by state and by policy area indicates that non‐compliance is a significant systemic phenomenon. The article concentrates on the processing patterns of the EC infringement procedure and advances a model for the analysis of the Commission's approach to non‐compliance. It is argued that the analysis of the Commission's approach requires exploring the links between policy development, policy priorities and the exercise of the monitoring function. The Commission's strategic considerations which influence the evolution of monitoring in the European Union are examined with a co‐operative ‘enforcement policy game’.