Conclusion and Future Considerations

Abstract

The primary purpose of this book has been to examine how well theories of European integration explain developments in a particular issue area. The case study selected was the European Union’s (EU) influence in defense industry matters. Chapter 3 presented the extent of the EU’s activities in this area, concentrating on the historical evolution of EU competence and the roles played by the European Commission, Parliament, and Council of Ministers, with a particular emphasis on events occurring since the mid-1980s. Chapter 1 outlined the traditional theoretical approaches used to understand European integration. Chapters 2, 4, 5, and 6 concentrated on different variables that may have helped to shape the integration process: the industrial structure, international environment, domestic and interstate politics, and interest groups. These variables are among those emphasized by the different integration theories as the principal lenses through which the EU’s institutional development can be discerned. In this chapter, we will determine the relative importance of each of these variables in explaining the integration of Europe’s defense industry.