To be sure, the above considerations are still very abstract and general in nature. However, further specification can hardly be achieved from a merely theoretical perspective; it has to take into account the peculiarities of the case under study. To do so, this chapter will clarify the scope of the underlying study and develop a more concrete framework for dependent and independent variables in order to specify the theoretical considerations in the light of the underlying research question.

The analytical scope of the study

This study is concerned with the impact of Europeanisation on national administrations. To what extent do national administrative systems change under European influence? To what extent do these changes imply patterns of administrative convergence across member states? Although one can think of numerous ways national administrative systems may become Europeanised, including, for instance, through the frequent interactions between supranational and national bureaucracies (Wessels and Rometsch 1996), the diffusion of policy ideas and mutual learning across member states' administrations, or legal implications associated with decisions of the Commission or the European Court of Justice (ECJ), I have already pointed out that the focus of this study is on the domestic impact of European policies. However, despite this initial restriction regarding the analytical focus, the particular type of policy under investigation still has to be clarified.