The Risks and Benefits of Differentiated Integration in the European Union as Perceived by Academic Experts

This article sheds light on how academic experts assess the benefits and risks of differentiated integration (DI) in European Union (EU). DI denotes particular member states either being allowed to opt out specific EU policies, or excluded exempted from participating them until certain conditions are met. The findings a novel expert survey (n = 95) highlight two key divisions amongst experts, namely, first regional divide between scholars based Western Europe those Eastern Europe, with former more favourable than latter; second, substantive those, numerous, who DI, critical. For former, perceived outweigh risks. What drives support objection also differs experts. Whereas supporters favour pragmatic reasons for opponents mostly mobilize principled against it.