The aim of this thesis is to rethink the way we study supernational influence in the European Union. The thesis redefines the analytical tools we bring to the study of this aspect of European politics through an in-depth engagement with two of the most controversial rulings of the European Court of Justice in the 2000s.

In the two cases the Commission was able to bring two issues of principal importance from the intergovernmental areas of the EU decision making in to the supranational framework of the EU in spite of intense protests from the Member States. The cases thus revolve around a fundamental theme in EU studies; the tension between supranational decision making and national sovereignty.