First, size: The COM proposes an overall size of 1.26% of EU GNI or about 1.8 tn euros in today's prices (don't use the bigger 2tn number in current prices, it messes with your head and makes it impossible to shift sums around between years and items). This is a very moderate increase in size.

We test our framework on the European Green Deal, but we expect it can apply to other cross-sectoral policy challenges as well!

We also show that the centralisation within the Commission is, at least in part, a response to the demands of managing complex cross-sectoral challenges.

A key insight from our research is the political proximity between the European Council and the Commission presidency, as well as Coreper’s role as a crucial bridging actor within the EU core executive.

While the European Council plays a presidential role within the EU core executive, the Commission presidency, Coreper, and the rotating Council presidency facilitate and oversee cross-sectoral coordination.