ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses adaptation in Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia to the EU acquis in the areas of migration and border security, and the capacity bargain networks generated by this engagement. Migration and border security are not typically included in analyses of MLG because they tend to be seen as tightly hierarchical policy fields with little scope for MLG dynamics. Our rationale for exploring developments in the area of migration and border security are, first, that it is clearly a transboundary issue that does involve an extensive role for the EU in policy development; the ordering of capacity across governance scales to include both a supranational and a subnational dimension; and a role for international organisations other than the EU. Second, by analysing migration and border security it is possible to explore variation by policy type in the dynamics of MLG and Europeanisation. Compared to distributive policies, regulatory policies such as migration and border security are specific and focused. They target the behaviour of individuals defined by policy-makers as a group requiring regulation and seek to limit the discretion of those implementing policy by specifying who is to be subject to regulation. Individual regulatory decisions are based on the application of general rules and the costs are borne by those subject to regulation, while benefits accrue to the wider group. Normatively, regulatory policies stigmatise those being regulated as a ‘threat’ to the wider community.
