The most recognizable and researched impact of Europeanization is upon government structures, processes, and policies. However, the study of the effects of Europeanization on domestic interest groups is still in its infancy. This comparative work addresses a gap in the academic literature by examining the political and social context of interest groups in Malta and Ireland, two small island states at the periphery of an integrated continent. The author explores the impact of the European Union on their civil society's organizations and their gradual transformation as guided by differing speeds and logics of Europeanization.
European exposure is not only investigated in terms of engagement with the EU's multi-tier institutional design, but more fundamentally, its ability to reshape domestic structures, politics, and mindsets of politically active citizens. The major aim of this study is twofold: to measure the extent of Europeanization and to decipher its typology. The investigation is rooted in the theoretical framework of new institutionalism, which is well-equipped to provide answers as to which enablers of change are at play in Europeanizing domestic interest groups.
