"Europeanisation in the societal/trans-national realm: What European Integration Studies can get out of analysing football"

Brand, Alexander, and Niemann, Arne. (2007) "Europeanisation in the societal/trans-national realm: What European Integration Studies can get out of analysing football". In: UNSPECIFIED, Montreal, Canada. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

[From the introduction]. ‘Europeanisation’ has become a focal point of discussion in European integration studies. Although the term is used in different ways to describe a variety of phenomena, its meanings have usually been restricted to (in a strict sense) political processes, i.e. domestic political changes caused by European integration. Most studies have emphasised top-down dynamics inherent in this particular notion of Europeanisation, whereas bottom-up and/or transnational processes and attempts to analyse their interplay have entered the debate only recently. We seek to contribute to this debate by focusing on what we describe as the ‘societal/trans-national’ dimension of Europeanisation: this dimension encapsulates (1) the level and sphere of change; and (2) the type of agency generating or resisting change. In this paper, we seek to analyse the impact of European-level governance – the case law of the European Court of Justice and the Community’s competences in the area of competition policy – on German football. More particularly we will look at the nationality issue related to the Bosman ruling (case 1), the new transfer regime resulting from the Bosman ruling (case 2), and the issue of broadcasting rights (case 3). In the broader context, additional factors are considered which less clearly relate to the European integration process, such as the development of the Champions League (case 4) or the emergence of transnational groupings like the G-14 (case 5). Taken together, these processes add up to the ongoing ‘Europeanisation’ of (German) football. By analysing five cases of Europeanisation within the realm of German football, we not only want to shed some light on an under-researched field of study for political scientists interested in ‘Europeanising’ mechanisms. It also allows us to explore the general applicability of Europeanisation factors (sources, dynamics and level of change), which have been derived mainly from the analysis of more politico-economic contexts, to explain dynamics in societal, i.e. rather non-political, contexts. This way we may also clarify potential ‘blind-spots’, i.e. dynamics and interrelated mechanisms in Europeanisation processes that have been largely ignored by traditional analyses. Our empirical focus is salient as it represents a social context, which forms an important and conscious part of citizens’ lives (rather than an abstract and inaccessible sphere). This may enable us to gain a deeper understanding of Europeanisation regarding citizens’ life worlds. Our paper will first elucidate the concept of Europeanisation and specify our understanding of the term. Secondly, we will outline the societal/transnational dimension of Europeanisation. The third section attempts to formulate some systemising factors of the Europeanisation process which guides our empirical analysis of five subcases related to German football that will follow thereafter.

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