Policy framing in the European Union

Policy framing research addresses the role of political issue definitions in the policy-making process. This research article first offers an introduction to this field and argues that the policy framing perspective has particular relevance for the study of the EU. A review of recent studies of EU policy framing discusses how the framing of issues on the EU agenda structures political conflict and competition at the European level, and it shows how this literature provides a unique research perspective on a political system characterized by competing constituencies and contested competencies. Focusing more broadly on how policy framing influences the political construction of interests in the EU, the article finally asks how the study of policy framing can contribute to our understanding of the nature of EU politicization.