Brigitte Pircher
Associate professorSince February 2022, I have been an Associate Professor at Linnaeus University. Previously, I have held posts at the University of Vienna, Linnaeus University, and Copenhagen Business School. I lead research projects on public procurement and EU institutions and their policy-making. Moreover, I am part of a work package on fair working conditions through labour market policies in the EU Horizon 2020 project 'EuSocialCit', coordinated by the University of Amsterdam (https://www.eusocialcit.eu/). In 2016, I defended my PhD with the highest distinction at the University of Vienna. I have a master's degree in European Studies (University of Vienna) and a master's degree in political science (University of Innsbruck).
I have nine years of work experience outside academia in publication and communication management, conflict management, and community work in social housing in Vienna. Furthermore, I worked as head of an office and policy adviser in the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Research
As a political scientist specialising in European Studies, my research focuses on policy-making in the EU institutions and implementing these policies at the national level. What are the motivations of actors to draft and adopt specific policies, and how are they set into practice? Specifically, I focus on the internal market (public procurement) and social policies (labour markets, parental leave, gender equality).
Research interests include - but are not limited to - policy implementation, compliance with EU law, crisis politics, Europeanisation, European integration, and voting behaviours and decision-making processes in the EU institutions.
Methods: I use all different research methods, often mixing them in mixed-methods designs, but my main specialisation is in-depth qualitative analyses.
Teaching: I have teaching experiences from Linnaeus University and the University of Vienna at all levels of education and supervise bachelor's, master's, and doctoral theses in my research areas.
My ongoing research projects
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Project: The EU’s Commission Regulatory Scrutiny Board This project explores the role of the European Commission’s Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) and analyses to what extent it influences the EU…
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Project: The strategic use of public procurement The research project aims to map variations in the practical application of public procurement rules in the EU member states. This will give us new…
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Seed project: Sustainable procurement in supply chains of companies The project examines to what extent organizations review their suppliers in relation to their societal and environmental impact and…
Publications
Article in journal (Refereed)
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Pircher, B. (2023). Compliance with EU Law from 1989 to 2018 : The Commission's Shift from a Normative to a Regulative Approach. Journal of Common Market Studies. 61 (3). 763-780.
Status: Published -
De La Porte, C., Im, Z.J., Pircher, B., Szelewa, D. (2023). The EU's work-life balance directive: Institutional change of father-specific leave across member states. Social Policy & Administration. 1-15.
Status: Epub ahead of print -
Pircher, B., De La Porte, C., Szelewa, D. (2023). Actors, Costs and Values: the implementation of the Work-Life Balance Directive. West European Politics. 1-26.
Status: Epub ahead of print -
Pircher, B. (2022). EU public procurement policy during Covid-19 : A turning point for legitimate EU governance?. Politics and Governance. 10 (3). 131-142.
Status: Published -
Pircher, B., Farjam, M. (2021). Oppositional voting in the Council of the EU between 2010 and 2019 : Evidence for differentiated politicisation. European Union Politics. 22 (3). 472-494.
Status: Published -
Pircher, B. (2020). The Council of the EU in Times of Economic Crisis : A Policy Entrepreneur for the Internal Market. Journal of Contemporary European Research. 16 (1). 65-81.
Status: Published -
Pircher, B. (2020). EU public procurement policy : the economic crisis as trigger for enhanced harmonisation. Journal of European Integration. 42 (4). 509-525.
Status: Published -
Pircher, B., Loxbo, K. (2020). Compliance with EU Law in Times of Disintegration : Exploring Changes in Transposition and Enforcement in the EU Member States between 1997 and 2016. Journal of Common Market Studies. 58 (5). 1270-1287.
Status: Published -
Pircher, B. (2017). Member states’ opposition in the Council of the European Union and its impacts on the implementation of directives. Austrian Journal of Political Science. 46 (3). 1-10.
Status: Published
Chapter in book (Refereed)
- Pircher, B. (2019). Policy-Making in the European Council and the Council of the EU on Europe 2020 : The Presidency Effect. Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth : Political Entrepreneurship for a prosperous Europe. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. 55-74.
- Pircher, B. (2019). Local and Regional Involvement in Europe 2020 : A Success Story?. Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth : Political Entrepreneurship for a prosperous Europe. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. 93-108.
- Pircher, B. (2018). Entrepreneurship policy in the Council of the EU : Reaching Consensus among Member States?. Governance and Political Entrepreneurship in Europe : Promoting Growth and Welfare in Times of Crisis. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. 82-99.
- Pircher, B. (2018). Debating the economic crisis in the European Parliament : Enriching the discourse. Governance and Political Entrepreneurship in Europe : Promoting Growth and Welfare in Times of Crisis. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. 100-120.
Collection (editor) (Refereed)
- Karlsson, C., Silander, D., Pircher, B. (2019). Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth : Political Entrepreneurship for a prosperous Europe. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. 272.
Report (Refereed)
- Pircher, B. (2023). The EU’s Commission Regulatory Scrutiny Board : better regulation or biased influence on legislation?. Vienna, AK Wien, Abteilung Europa und Internationales und Lobby Control. 52.
- De La Porte, C., Im, Z.J., Pircher, B., Szelewa, D., Ramos, N., et al. (2022). Strengthening European social rights via the work-life balance directive?. Genève, European Commission, zenodo. 88.
Dataset (Refereed)
- Pircher, B., Farjam, M. (2021). Dataset to 'Oppositional voting in the Council of the EU between 2010 and 2019: Evidence for differentiated politicisation'. Sage Publications.
Conference paper (Refereed)
- Pircher, B. (2022). The Covid-19 crisis as critical juncture for EU's policy on public procurement. .
- Pircher, B., De La Porte, C., Im, Z.J., Szelewa, D. (2022). The Politics of the Work-Life Balance Directive : Contesting Social Europe. Twenty-Eighth International Conference of Europeanists (CES), Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, June 29-July 1.
- Pircher, B. (2020). It‘s the End of the Worlds as we know them : Policy Changes in EU Compliance. UACES virtual conference, 7-11 September : Panel 404: The EU and compliance.
- Pircher, B., Loxbo, K. (2019). Member states’ compliance with EU law in times of crisis. .
- Pircher, B. (2019). The Council of the EU in times of economic crisis – enhancing neoliberal policies as crisis management. .
- Pircher, B. (2017). Debating the Economic Crisis in the European Parliament: Lessons for Entrepreneurship. .
- Pircher, B. (2017). EU Public Procurement Policy : Crisis‑induced Harmonization as Driver for European Integration?. Paper presented at the 11th ECPR General Conference, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, September 6-9, 2017.
Doctoral thesis, monograph (Other academic)
- Pircher, B. (2015). Österreichs Opposition im Rat der Europäischen Union und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Richtlinienumsetzung. Doctoral Thesis. Vienna, University of Vienna. 317.
Other (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
- Pircher, B. (2023). Das Regulatory Scrutiny Board: Wie groß ist der Einfluss auf die EU Gesetzgebung?. AK Österreich and ÖGB.
- Pircher, B. (2021). How differentiated politicisation affects voting behaviour in the Council of the European Union. London School of Economics and Political Science.
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Pircher, B. (2021). Compliance with EU law in times of European disintegration. UACES (University Association for Contemporary European Studies).
Blog post on the Research blog of the Research Network on Effective Enforcement of EU Law and policy
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Article, review/survey (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
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Pircher, B. (2014). Meine Forschung: Welche Folgen hat Österreichs Opposition im EU-Ministerrat?. uni:view online newspaper, University of Vienna.
Status: Published -
Pircher, B. (2014). Die Rolle des Europäischen Parlaments in der Beschäftigungs- und Sozialpolitik. Trendreport Arbeit, Bildung, Soziales. Vienna, Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitswelt (FORBA). (1). 9-9.
Status: Published