Explaining compliance at the intermediary level of EU Governance. the case of Erasmus+ Inclusion Measures and the Dutch National Agency

Abstract

This thesis examines how the choice of compliance strategies employed by the Dutch National Agency (NA) for Erasmus+ Education and Training can be explained. The research aims to address a gap in the European Union (EU) compliance literature, which has largely focused on Commission–member state relations, by analysing compliance dynamics at the intermediary level of NAs. Using an in-depth qualitative case study based on semi-structured interviews with officials from the European Commission (from now on: Commission), the Dutch NA, educational institutions, and related stakeholders, the study analyses how inclusion and diversity obligations under the Erasmus+ programme are interpreted, implemented, and enforced in practice. The findings show that the Dutch NA predominantly relies on managerialist compliance strategies, supplemented by constructivist elements such as peer learning and norm diffusion, while deterrence-based and competition-based approaches remain largely absent. This strategy choice can be explained by a shared normative commitment to inclusion, a common diagnosis of non-compliance as capacity-based rather than intentional, and the soft-law governance structure of Erasmus+. Moreover, the analysis demonstrates a reciprocal but asymmetrical relationship between the Commission and the Dutch NA, in which the Commission sets broad frameworks and financial conditions that shape national compliance practices, while the NA feeds back implementation experiences that inform adjustments at EU level. Overall, the study concludes that compliance with Erasmus+ inclusion measures is primarily governed through supportive, capacity-building approaches rather than coercive enforcement, reflecting both the institutional position of National Agencies and the non-politicised character of the policy domain.