ABSTRACT
One of the main attributes of the nation state is the ability to make 'authoritative allocations' for society. Much of the criticism of the European Community (EC) during the Maastricht debates was centred upon the alleged 'excessive' policy-making role of the EC in general and of the Commission in particular. The anti-Maastricht argument was that the EC had become a 'nanny' state, over-regulating the economic and social life of member states. At best the European Union (EU) policy process might exhibit some stable patterns of cross-national coalition building; at worst it may exhibit some of the extreme aspects of a garbage can model of decision-making. Different models of analysis may be useful at different levels within the EU and at different stages of the policy process. 'Grand theory' must await a much stronger empirical base, bearing in mind that there are major cross-sectoral variations in EU policy styles.
