European Industrial Policies: Balancing Interdependence and Interest

Abstract

Following a short description of European industrial policy definition and strategies, policy choices are analyzed in terms of international inputs into the policy process and the substantive consistency of policy choices. It is argued that policy formulation is related to the type of interdependence of the unit and to the external policy objective. Vulnerability interdependence leads to fewer policies with integrative effects, as is the case with oil and energy policies. Beyond the external context for policy, the substantive relationships among objectives and strategies in industrial policy, emphasizing their consistency and contradictions, are discussed. These two modes of analysis provide depth in studying policymaking in international organizations while illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of European industrial policy.