The Anatomy of Autonomy: An Institutional Account of Variation in Supranational Influence

Abstract

This article presents a rational institutionalist account of why the Commission and the ECJ vary in their capacity to successfully pursue a supranational agenda. In the empirical part, the explanatory power of this approach is illustrated through a comparison between the Commission’s and the ECJ’s autonomy in the pursuit of a joint agenda in EU enforcement. The article suggests that the EU as a strategic context is comparatively more open to autonomous actions and supranational influence by the ECJ, which is subject to less intrusive control mechanisms and enjoys more accessible means of rule creation than the Commission.

Keywords: European Union, principal-agent analysis, P-A, delegation, agency, supranational institutions, influence, European Commission, European Court of Justice, compliance, enforcement