Administrative Culture in the European Commission: The Cases of Competition and Environment

Abstract

The study of the cultural aspects of the European Commission is a relatively new area of interest for students of the European Union (EU). Yet increasingly the application of anthropological insights into the functioning of the European institutions has helped to add a new dimension to the old institutionalism, opening up new avenues for research on topics once considered well-worn (Abélès et al. 1993). This chapter builds on work already undertaken on the Commission’s administrative culture, to consider the Directorate General (DG) as the most appropriate level of analysis for research into the Commission’s cultural components (Cini, 1995). The primary objective of the chapter is to consider the relationship between policy content, policy process, and administrative culture.