Introduction

To what extent does administrative capacity explain a member state’s control over the European Commission during trade negotiations? This chapter introduces the main research question and elaborates on its empirical and theoretical relevance. The empirical relevance is situated in the rising demand for administrative capacity and the constraints on its supply. The broader theoretical relevance of the research question is framed within the literature on comparative public administration, the principal-agent model, and negotiation theory. The combination of these three approaches enables the formulation of the central argument of this book: administrative capacity increases a member state’s propensity to exert control. The chapter ends with an overview of the book, elucidating the applied research design and the corresponding structure.