Europeanization the Digital Way: Trans-European IT Systems—The Case of EESSI

This article explores the role of Information Technology (IT) in the Europeanization process, focusing on Trans-European IT systems. Despite the growing significance of IT in national policy implementation across Europe, the use of IT in the European Union (EU) remains relatively unexplored. Trans-European IT projects, such as the Electronic Exchange Social Security Information (EESSI), exemplify a unique form of Europeanization. This study delves into the complexities of the EESSI-case, shedding light on the challenges and outcomes of implementing a cross-border IT system with extensive functionalities. As a result, the analysis suggests that the Commission’s perspective leaned toward perceiving EESSI primarily as an IT solution to enforce EU policy, potentially overshadowing its original purpose as a tool for facilitating necessary and useful data exchange aligned with domestic business practices at the Member State level.