EU Intergovernmental Conferences : A Quantitative Analytical Reconstruction and Data-Handbook of Domestic Preference Formation, Transnational Networks, and Dynamics of Compromise during the Amsterdam Treaty Negotiations

Abstract

The Amsterdam Treaty constitutes a further step in the process of the gradual EU constitution building. By this quantitative analytical reconstruction of the respective negotiation structures and processes our objective was a) to identify the domestic formal as well as informal structures of EU member states having been in charge for the preparation of Intergovernmental Conferences; b) to make visible intranational as well as international preference constellations with regard to the agenda of an IGC; c) to trace the dynamic aspects of such negotiations. We outline the metatheoretical and theoretical starting point as well as the conceptualization of our study design. Operationalizations of core concepts are delivered. In order to make transparent data collection and to point to the possibilities of quantitative case studies we provide extensive tabulation and visualization