ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how domestic political interests can break into the transnational Community policy process. The main focus of attention is the articulation of German interests in the European Community (EC) policy process. Policymaking is on three tiers namely the Community, the Federal Government and the Laender governments. In France, the process is centralised in the General Secretariat of the Interministerial Committee for Questions of European Economic Cooperation (SGCI). In cases of less political importance the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) acts as the link between the domestic and EC levels, preparing the ground for meetings of the Council of Ministers. The Federal Republic is a particularly interesting case among the EC member states. The governments of the federal states, the Laender are represented in the Bundesrat, making inevitable a comparison with the national governments' representation in the EC Council of Ministers.
