European Integration

How does the EU's political system work? Is it a democratic system and how does it deal with the diverse political problems of our time (currency instability, immigration of refugees, energy security, climate protection, etc.)? Is the EU a serious player on the international political stage and on what does it base its influence? What role do citizens play in the functioning of the EU and what reform ideas do they come up with? The Research Group's teaching and research focuses on the institutional and political dynamics of the EU, the normative foundations of European integration, the origins of Euroscepticism and the challenges posed to the European project by Eurosceptic and populist parties, as well as current issues of European policy in individual policy areas. The members of the department are active in the "Transforming Europe" research center.

In its research, the department's team addresses a variety of questions relating to European research. An initial focus is on questions relating to the development of environmental and climate policy in the EU. This includes analyses of the actions of the European Commission, the role of the European Parliament and political measures, including in the area of sustainability and trade policy. A second focus is on the role of political parties in the European integration process and the development of environmental movements.

In addition to a number of individual projects, the department is currently involved in two interdisciplinary research networks with its own projects. As part of the DFG Research Training Group  Ecorisk (Ecological Regime Shifts and Systemic Risk in Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems), the focus is on dealing with ecological risks in transnational supply chains of agricultural products and the effectiveness of political control. The network on  Sustainability Policy and Governance of Global Value Chains, which is funded by the "Science Spaces" program of the Volkswagen Foundation and the state of Lower Saxony, is also concerned with supply chains and the dynamics and effectiveness of national and European legislation.

The department offers a wide range of courses, particularly in the Bachelor's degree program in  European Studies and the Master's degree program in  European Governance. Our courses focus on the development of the European Union, policy-making and governance in the EU as well as theoretical perspectives on EU research. In addition, the department organizes an annual excursion to Brussels (as part of the BA module "The EU from an internal perspective").

Our teaching is characterized by its close proximity to research, application and topicality as well as interactive teaching formats. We ensure the high quality of our teaching through regular evaluations.

The team in the department also supervises a large number of theses, primarily on core issues of EU research, such as EU governance and EU policy-making, party research and analyses of global, European and national environmental and climate policy.

2025

Freudlsperger, C & Weinrich, M (2025). Varieties of Pro-Europeanism? How Mainstream Parties Compete over Redistribution in the European Union. European Journal of Political Research (early view): 1-25.  https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.12753

Lenschow, A (2025). Environmental Policy: Contending Dynamics of Policy Change. In: H. Wallace, M. Pollack, and A. Young (eds.). Policy Making in the European Union. 9th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, in press.

Ortland, M & Schilling-Vacaflor, A (2025). New Approaches to Govern Pineapple Supply Chains from Costa Rica: Towards more Just and Sustainable Production and Trade? Arjé, in press.

Pollex, J (2025). Is it all about distribution?-Debating the Green Deal in the European Parliament. Journal of European Integration, 47(2), 217-236.

Pollex, J (2025). Distributive challenges in the EU's environmental and climate policy. Global Social Policy, 25(1), 191-194.  https://doi.org/10.1177/14680181241312005

2024

Freudlsperger, C, & Weinrich, M (2024). Solidarity or self-reliance? German mainstream party ideology and the European integration of core state powers. Journal of European Public Policy, 31(5), 1438-1463.  https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2023.2174584

Pollex, J & Lenschow, A (2024). When talk meets actions-return to commission leadership in EU environmental policy-making with the European Green Deal. Journal of European Public Policy, 1-26.  https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2024.2402866

Pollex, J (2024). Climate justice and policy analysis: still a reserved relationship. NPJ Climate Action, 3(1), 65.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00146-w

Pollex, J, & Berker, LE (2024). The European Parliament and Fridays for Future: analyzing reactions to a new environmental movement by Europe's climate policy champion. Journal of European Integration, 46(8), 1133-1150.

Ruffing, E, Weinrich, M, Rittberger, B, & Wonka, A (2024). The European administrative space over time: Mapping the formal independence of EU agencies. Regulation & Governance, 18(3), 740-760.  https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12556

2023

Herzog, LM, Lenschow, A, Pollex, J (2023). Between Science, Movement, and Democracy: Scientists for Future in the Politics-Society Interface. (Between Science, Movement, and Democracy: Scientists for Future in the Politics-Society Interface.) Politische Vierteljahresschrift 64(5), 763-800.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11615-023-00464-4

Gustafsson, MT, Schilling-Vacaflor, A, Lenschow, A (eds.) Special Issue: The politics of supply chain regulations: Towards foreign corporate accountability in the area of human rights and the environment? Regulation & Governance, 17(4), 853-1151. Open Access.  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17485991/2023/17/4

Gustafsson, MT, Schilling-Vacaflor, A, & Lenschow, A (2023). The politics of supply chain regulations: Towards foreign corporate accountability in the area of human rights and the environment? Regulation & Governance, 17(4), 853-869. In: Special Issue (see above).  https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12526

Gustafsson, MT, Schilling-Vacaflor, A, Lenschow, A (2023). Foreign corporate accountability: The contested institutionalization of mandatory due diligence in France and Germany. Regulation & Governance, 17(4), 891-908. In: Special Issue (see above).  https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12498