Neue Akteure - neue Policy? Die Folgen der EU-Erweiterung von 2004 und 2007 für europäische Governance-Prozesse: Eine Fallstudie auf dem Gebiet der europäischen Energie- und Klimapolitik

In an empirical in-depth evaluation of European policy making and policy outcome the thesis aims at a better understanding of the impact the enlargement of 2004 and 2007 had on the European policy-making process an its outcome. It is centred around the question, how the political system of the EU changed after the accession of the new Member States. In terms of the EU s self chosen slogan 'United in Diversity', the thesis asks, in which direction the EU gravitated after the enlargement was accomplished: Towards more unity or more diversity? In order to shed some light on this question, the thesis evolves around the hypothesis that the accession of the new Member States to the EU resulted in a shift of established policy-making patterns: Regarding the high quantity of the new political actors, the enlargement may have had enough weight to trigger quick change in the European political system, by altering the existing balance between the advocacy coalitions on a given policy field.