L'INTEGRATION ET L'EUROPE: QUEL ENJEUX?/NTEGRATION AND EUROPE: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

Abstract

This article looks at the policy making of integration policies in Western Europe. Until recently many attention has been paid by scholars to policy making at the national level but less is done at the European level. I look at policy-making at the European level, i.e. soft policies tools launched by the Commission to enhance convergence of national policies. I argue that the strategies to circumvent the Members states’ reluctance towards the European level leads to an approach promoting sharing of «best practices». As a consequence of this strategy, European initiatives have not a direct effect on policy making and the national level remains the most important. However, this does not mean that initiatives launched at the European level do not have any effect. Indeed, they contribute to the diffusion and depoliticization of integration policies, help some actors to gain legitimacy and upload to the European level the concern of integration policy as a mean to control migration.