Europeanization through Equality Bodies

This dissertation is an interdisciplinary study on the role of national equality bodies and the European Network of Equality Bodies in Europe. It aims at estimating the link between networking conducted by these equality bodies and Europeanisation in the field of promoting equality. It is possible to develop a common approach to the promotion of equality in the EU in two ways – legal harmonisation and Europeanisation. By considering the case of the Baltic Sea Region, this book shows that national equality bodies and their networking can lead to Europeanisation in terms of promoting equality. The research it contains contributes to the significant gap in the academic debate about Equality bodies and to the debate on policy networks in the EU. Moreover, it also shows that the unique nature of equality bodies and their networking are significant contributors to the move from fragmentation in the approach to promoting equality towards a common European approach.