This thesis studies the Europeanisation of bilateral relations of EU member states, with the Polish-German relationship as a crucial case study. The starting point is the question whether bilateral relations can become Europeanised, as domestic structures do, as an effect of EU enlargement. To test this thesis, this thesis puts forward a competitive-testing design which develops the three IR-theories of realism, liberalism and constructivism, and in which elements of rational-choice institutionalism and sociological institutionalism are integrated. With the testing based on three theories and the integrated elements of neo-institutionalism, this thesis investigates first the dynamics behind change in bilateral relations and Second, the channels through which influence from the EU institutional framework operates. The Polish-German case is presented as a crucial-case study, as it is a set of relations in which a positive change in relations is most likely to occur, given the shared historical burden. On the basis of a survey of publicly accessible documents and semi-structured elite interviews, the thesis presents three groups of units of analysis covering different facets of bilateral relations: the role of history in relations, EU-related issues in the relationship, and the bilateral relations in a multilateral context. Through investigating whether bilateral relations can successfully become Europeanised, a contribution is sought to be made to knowledge on the dynamics of EU enlargement. In addition, the analysis of Polish-German relations between 1994 and 2010 forms a new contribution to the existing knowledge on this interesting case.

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This research compares and contrasts different patterns of support for and opposition to EU integration in Poland in comparative perspective. The scope is to fill a missing gap in the existing literature providing an in-depth study on public opinion and European integration on a specific case of Central and Eastern Europe, to turn towards a comparative framework.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate the impact of the 2004 EU enlargement upon the sustainability of the European Social Model. Prior to the 2004 enlargement the existing literature, which conducted various top-down empirical studies of the 2004 new member states, argues the new member states to be a homogenous neoliberal bloc of countries which will erode the ESM. In a post 2004 EU the thesis takes a bottom-up analysis of the behaviour of two new member states, Hungary and Poland, upon two EU, policy-making case studies to assess the current claim. Firstly, the thesis investigates the current varieties of capitalism within Hungary and Poland to assess the claim that the new member states are a homogenous neoliberal bloc of countries.

This thesis focuses on the process of identity construction taking place within the European Union. Through an analysis of how the Union constructs the internal dimension of its identity in its domestic sphere targeting the citizens of its Member States and how it constructs the external dimension of its identity in the international sphere targeting mainly the non-member states and their citizens, the thesis seeks to answer the question to what extent the internal and external dimensions of the EU's identity, as analysed within the framework of the education policy and the foreign policy of the Union, form a coherent whole. It argues that identity has two dimensions: an external dimension which corresponds to the projection of the political community onto the world, and an internal one in which the idea of this imagined political community is projected back onto its citizens. Building on this framework, the thesis claims that these two facets of identity form a coherent and meaningful identity framework, the internal and external dimensions of which are constructed in quite similar and complementary ways. It also argues that the representations of the internal and external facets of the EU's identity illustrate great similarities in the way they were conceptualised, promoted and linked to the overall policy objectives of the Union in the two policy areas discussed within the framework of this study.

This thesis contributes to the understanding of the economic effects of European integration, on both the pattern of industrial specialisation in European regions and openness and income for countries of the European Economic Community (EEC). Chapter 2 provides a descriptive analysis of the evolution of the patterns of specialisation across European regions during 1975-1995. We find that regions are more specialised than countries. Over time, countries and regions have increased specialisation, although at a slow pace. When analysing specialisation dynamics, mobility within the pattern of specialisation changes notably at the regional level. We also find significant cross-country and within-country differences in specialisation. Chapter 3 studies production patterns in 45 European regions since 1975. We estimate a structural equation derived directly from the Heckscher-Ohlin theory, which relates an industry's share of a region's GDP to factor endowments and relative prices. Factor endowments are found to play a significant and quantitatively important role. The explanation is most successful for aggregate industries, and works less well for disaggregated industries within the manufacturing sector. We find no evidence that increasing European integration has weakened or stengthened the relation between factor endowments and production patterns. Chapter 4 adds economic geography considerations into the analysis of patterns of specialisation in manufacturing industries across regions in seven European countries since 1985. We estimate an equation that relates an industry's share of GDP to factor endowments, industry characteristics, and economic geography variables. Both factor endowments and economic geography are found to be significant in explaining specialisation. Among economic geography variables, cost linkages are more important than demand linkages. There is no evidence that increasing integration has weakened or stengthened the relationship between factor endowments, economic geography, and production patterns within countries. Chapter 5 explores how European economic integration has affected openness and income. We test for permanent effects of EEC membership on openness, income, and income convergence at the time of accession. Results indicate EEC membership improves permanently openness within the EEC and income, but has neither an effect on income growth nor on convergence. Second, we investigate the differential effect of EEC membership by applying a differences in differences specification which controls for common time series shock. Openness, income, and convergence among the EEC countries were improved significantly. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the thesis with a summary of conclusions and contributions. Chapter 6 summarises the main findings of the thesis.

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