Abstract Kovačovská

Actors and Arenas in the Process of Liberalisation of the Internal Market in Electricity and Natural Gas as an Example of Postmodern International System: Theoretical and Methodological Research Framework

Lenka Kovačovská

Abstract: The article deals with the currently very up-to-date issue of the preparation and adoption of the 3rd market liberalisation package and with the role and influence of different interest groups in it. The aim of the article is to develop a complex theoretical and methodological research framework that could be applied for analysis of actors and arenas in the process of liberalisation of the internal market in electricity and natural gas which is perceived as a typical example of the regulatory mode of policy-making in the EU. Plus, the article presents key variables (and values they might have) and conceptual factors crucial for the research. The article thus forms a basis for further research of the author, but it might be used universally for study of interest groups in the EU policies under the regulatory-mode of policy-making.

Keywords: Internal market, liberalisation, electricity, natural gas, actors, arenas, networks, multi-level governance, interests, goals, variables