This study examines the extent to which the development and operation of social partnership at EU level can be explained in terms of the logic of self-interest, as opposed to factors such as the influence of ideas or of cultural or ideological values. The editors have assembled a team of international authors with rare expertise, who present fresh and original data based on extensive research interviews with the main players, from the highest level through to those involved in the detail of the negotiations.

Whilst actions by business interests are widely acknowledged to be a central mechanism of European integration, the capacity of formal groups which represent them to contribute meaningfully to the integration process is little understood. Based on original research with 50 EU business associations and 150 of their members, this unique book assesses the effectiveness of EU business associations and their potential to bring value to the EU policy making process and to their members, and lends a methodology by which they can be evaluated.