Crashing and creeping: agenda-setting dynamics in the European Union

Abstract Agenda-setting in the EU takes place in two ways: ‘from above’ through high-level political institutions urging EU action, and ‘from below’ through policy experts formulating specific proposals in low-level groups and working parties. This article formulates a theoretical framework for understanding the differences between these two processes. Moreover, it shows how they may interact and become intertwined in the course of actual agenda-setting processes. The utility of the approach is demonstrated in two contrasting case studies: one of EU anti-smoking policy and one of EU anti-bioterrorism policy.