Download or read book Understanding EU Decision Making written by Edward Best and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-02-04 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents in a concise and accessible way why the EU institutional system exists in its present form, how the EU fits into the world as a system of governance, and who is involved in EU policy processes. It outlines the historical context which has shaped the EU system, gives a summary of the system's basic principles and structures, and describes its actors, procedures and instruments. The main theme is to show that EU decision-making is not just a matter of action at some higher and separate level, of ‘them and us’, but rather that it involves different forms of cooperation between European, national and regional authorities, as well as interaction between public and private actors. Numerous short case studies illustrate how people’s day-to-day activities are affected by EU decisions, and how individuals’ concerns are represented in the decision-making process. The book provides insights and examples which will be very helpful for all students of European integration. It will also be a valuable resource for European citizens wishing to understand the basic realities and rationales, as well as some of the dilemmas, behind EU policy-making.

Download or read book Participation in EU Decision Making written by Tamara Takács and published by T.M.C. Asser Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the European Union decision-making processes from the perspective of the Member States. The participation of Member States in these procedures poses serious tasks and challenges for their national institutions (i.e., governments and parliaments) and requires significant institutional and operational adaptation. The book offers a detailed account of the decision-making processes in the first, Community pillar of the EU and an insight into the general practices of some Member States participating therein. The analysis then turns to specific practical experiences in both the domestic and Brussels arena, through a detailed case study on Hungary, a relatively new Member State. The book is a valuable tool for academics and researchers in the fields of European Constitutional/Institutional law, European politics, Comparative Constitutional law, European and Comparative Public Administration. It is also of interest for national civil servants dealing with EU affairs or organisations training national civil servants for the coordination of EU policies, the representation of the national position in Brussels and the implementation of European Union law at the national level. Tamara Takacs is presently working as a Lecturer International and European Institutional Law at the Utrecht University School of Law in The Netherlands. She is a member of the Ius Commune Research School (The Netherlands), and the European Union Studies Association (EUSA).

Download or read book Participation in EU Decision Making written by Tamara Takács and published by T.M.C. Asser Press. This book was released on 2009-04-02 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: parliament in the conduct of European affairs and the operation of the Hungarian Permanent Representation to the EU are meticulously mapped out. The same holds true for the last stage of the co-actorship cycle, the phase of implementation. Previous academic (comparative) research in relation to the accession of the C- tral and Eastern European Countries was primarily focused on the constitutional adaptations. While the present study certainly starts with presenting the Hungarian constitutional context, it is going far beyond that by examining and evaluating the national legislative and administrative structures and mechanisms. In particular in relation to that last aspect, the study can be characterised as pioneering work. For Hungary – but probably also for many other countries – in a number of respects, the author has conducted unique research, based on empirical data and on not pre- ously collected and analysed government and parliament documents. This book is warmly recommended to anybody interested in the, until now, little explored and partly also practical implications of EU-membership of, in particular, the post-communist countries.

Download or read book European E Democracy in Practice written by Leonhard Hennen and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-06 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book explores how digital tools and social media technologies can contribute to better participation and involvement of EU citizens in European politics. By analyzing selected representative e-participation projects at the local, national and European governmental levels, it identifies the preconditions, best practices and shortcomings of e-participation practices in connection with EU decision-making procedures and institutions. The book features case studies on parliamentary monitoring, e-voting practices, and e-publics, and offers recommendations for improving the integration of e-democracy in European politics and governance. Accordingly, it will appeal to scholars as well as practitioners interested in identifying suitable e-participation tools for European institutions and thus helps to reduce the EU’s current democratic deficit. This book is a continuation of the book “Electronic Democracy in Europe” published by Springer.

Download or read book Participation in EU Decision Making written by Tamara Takács and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Political Process in the European Union Decision Making Procedures and Implementation of Policy written by Harald Löberbauer and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2006-07-28 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientific Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 2, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna - School of International Studies, course: The political process of the EU: decision-making procedures, language: English, abstract: Answers two major questions: 1. To what extent can one say that the Council and the EP are on an “equal footing” in the legislative process? 2. The member state level and the European (EU) level do not work separately but constantly “overlap” in the EU decision-making process (for example by way of committees). Do you agree and how could one practically illustrate this trend of “interaction” between the different levels?

Download or read book The Influence of Business Associations in the European Decision Making Process written by Uli Bethke and published by diplom.de. This book was released on 2006-01-20 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: Since the adoption of the Single European Act (SEA) in 1986 more and more competencies have been transferred by EU Member States to decision makers in Brussels. Beside the objective of the completion of the Single Market the scope of Community policies has widened to political co-operation, technological development, and social policy. In addition, the powers of the European Parliament were strengthened and qualified majority voting was introduced for decisions related to the completion of the internal market. Since the summits of Maastricht and Amsterdam European integration has further gained in momentum. National governments again handed over sovereignty to the European level. Jacques Delors famous quote that 80% of regulations impacting on the economic sphere were decided in Brussels today demonstrates the shift of competency. Within the last 15 years Brussels has become an important centre of power. This transference of power to the European level also has affected the behaviour of interest groups. Before 1986 it usually was sufficient to lobby the own national administration in order to influence regulations. The main function of European peak organisations at the time was on the one hand to monitor events in Brussels and report them back to their member federations on the other hand they formed a transnational network for the exchange of information. The growing power of European institutions and the strengthening of the supranational element within the European Union required interest groups to broaden their participation in the European decision making process. In addition, the technical problems regarding the realisation of the internal market, e.g. harmonisation of services, standardisation of products etc. has triggered off an enormous demand for technical input on the side of the European institutions. Since the adoption of the SEA, thus, interest groups have proliferated. New groups with new interests have emerged. Long established organisations have increased their financial and personnel resources. After Washington D.C., Brussels has become the second biggest boomtown for lobbying activities. In 1992 the Commission has estimated that approximately 3000 special interest groups with a total of 10,000 lobbyists try to influence the institutions of the European Union. The directory of interest groups lists 891 European peak organisations. Beside these Eurogroups a myriad form of actors all trying to get [...]

Download or read book Citizen Participation in Democratic Europe written by Alberto Alemanno and published by ECPR Press. This book was released on 2021-02-05 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the European Union undergoes a major, self-proclaimed democratic exercise the Conference on the Future of Europe and approaches Treaty change, this volume offers a new model of citizen participation to address Europe's long-standing democracy challenge, and respond to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposed are a set of democratic innovations, ranging from citizens assemblies to regulatory gaming to citizens initiatives and lobbying, which are complementary, not antagonistic, to existing representative democracy across the European continent. These innovations are emerging bottom-up across the continent and getting traction at local, national and EU level in a new era powered by technology. This book brings together academics as well as practitioners to give a forward-looking, holistic view of the realities of EU citizen participation across the spectrum of participatory opportunities. They all converge in arguing that, after many years of proven experimentation, the EU must institutionalize supranational, participative and deliberative, democratic channels to complement representative democracy and each other, and ultimately improve the effectiveness of EU citizen participation. While this institutional approach will not magically treat the EU democratic malaise, it should make the system more intelligible, accessible, and ultimately responsive to citizen demand without necessarily undertaking Treaty reform. The attempt to harness citizen participation to help address the current EU crisis needs the type of multi-faceted approach presented in this book. One that recognises the potential of existing and new democratic mechanisms, and also, importantly, the links between different instruments of citizen participation to improve the overall quality of EU's democratic system.

Download or read book Regional Participation in EU Decision making written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The role of sub-national bodies in EU decision-making has grown. In this regard, significant changes were introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon, which inserted an explicit reference to the sub-national dimension of the subsidiarity principle, and granted the Committee of the Regions the right to bring an action for annulment. While the 'Early Warning Mechanism' for subsidiarity monitoring is primarily concerned with national parliaments, regional parliaments with legislative powers form a separate category of bodies caught by the protocol and may play an advisory role. Existing research, however, points to problems and challenges which regional parliaments face in engaging in genuine subsidiarity monitoring. Ex-ante subsidiarity monitoring is complemented by the possibility of ex post judicial review. Generally, challenges to Union acts on subsidiarity grounds are infrequent. At the same time, it is agreed that the very possibility of judicial review forces greater weight to be given to subsidiarity concerns during the preparation of Union law and encourages EU institutions to consider carefully whether an issue is best addressed at the European, national, regional or local level.

Download or read book People and Parliament in the European Union written by Jean Blondel and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The power of the European Parliament has been steadily and visibly increasing in recent years. This arises from EU treaty changes and from the fact that more and more decisions are being made at the European level. At the same time, however, the already low rate of turnout in European elections has actually been declining. This powerful new study examines a seemingly paradoxical situation which has raised deep concern about the democratic deficit in the European Union. The authors analyse the concepts of participation, democracy, and legitimacy and their applicability at the European level and develop a typology of voter participation and abstention in the European context. Combining extensive new data from specially commissioned surveys in all 1994 member states with a searching review of the existing evidence, they provide a comprehensive account of the legitimacy of the European Union and examine the images of the European Parliament, citizens experiences of the 1994 campaign and their perceptions of the parties and the candidates. In an analysis that challenges existing interpretations, the institutional, demographic, and attitudinal sources of participation and abstention are fully explored. The study concludes by considering how participation and democratic representation might be enhanced, acknowledging forthrightly the obstacles and inherent limits that such efforts are likely to face.

Download or read book Participatory Governance in the EU written by K. Lindgren and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-09-13 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An empirical assessment of whether participatory governance reforms within the EU enhance or endanger democracy. Many consider allowing civil society to take an active role in EU policy-making to offer the most effective means of enhancing democracy in the EU, whereas others argue that such attempts deepen the EU's democratic deficit.

Download or read book Procedures for Local and Regional Authority Participation in European Policy Making in the Member States written by Committee of the Regions and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Decision Making in the European Union written by John Peterson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 1999-05-25 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on exhaustive research, this book explains how the European Union makes decisions in seven major policy sectors. Written in a clear, user-friendly style, it brings the EU alive for a student and non-specialist audience. The book's central themes are that informal norms often matter more than formal rules, agency often matters more than structure, and abrupt change often punctuates deadlock. It offers a theoretically-based introduction to the lively, humorous and fascinating politics of a unique experiment in modern governance.

Download or read book Decision making in the EU before and after the Lisbon Treaty written by Madeleine Hosli and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-10-02 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Decision-making in the European Union before and after the Lisbon Treaty aims to assess what the changes the Treaty of Lisbon envisaged and whether these ambitions have materialised since the Treaty entered into force. It offers analyses of the past, as well as what might be the future (because some provisions will only enter into effect in the years to come). To what extent has the current decision-making process been able to address the shortcomings and challenges of the past? What has been the impact of aspects of the Lisbon Treaty that clarified pre-existing norms and structures, in some cases formalizing them, rather than introducing new changes? The authors in this book look at the interaction between formal rules and informal practices seeking to point to the interaction between the two. They find that informal practices to date typically still dominate formal rules. This book was published as a special issue of West European Politics.

Download or read book Participation in EU Rule making written by Joana Mendes and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2011-04-07 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The limited scope of participation in the making of EU law remains a continued source of controversy, featuring prominently in recent institutional and political developments that have been shaping the EU's constitutional framework - most intensely in the follow up of the Commission's White Paper on Governance. Yet little attention has been paid to participation rights as a means of ensuring the procedural protection of persons affected by EU regulation in its diverse forms. This is a dimension of the rule of law that has been largely ignored by EU legislative and judicial bodies. Not only the legislator, but also the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance tend to adhere to excessively formal conceptions of participation rights that are premised on the right to be heard in individual procedures, as well as to a restrictive view regarding the relationships between the citizens and the administration. This book shows why, in the face of new regulatory developments, these conceptions are currently inadequate to ensure the legal protection of rights and interests affected by EU regulation. Combining a conceptual analysis with thorough empirical scrutiny, this book assesses the scope of participation rights in EU law against their rationales and underlying legal values. It makes a case for the extension of participation rights to new situations and new types of procedures, in particular those that would generally fall within the category of rulemaking. It brings distinct normative insights into a crucial theme of EU administrative law, and makes a topical and timely contribution to the increasingly notable theme of public participation in EU regulation. Joanna Mendes' 2009 thesis upon which Participation in EU Rule-Making is based was awarded the the European University Institute (Florence) Mauro Cappelletti Prize for the best doctoral thesis using a methodology of comparative law

Download or read book Bureaucrats as Law makers written by Frank M. Häge and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Council of Ministers is one of the most powerful institutions of the European Union (EU) and plays a major role in the European policy-making process. Drawing on formal theory and combining quantitative and qualitative methods in an innovative fashion, this book provides novel insights into the role of national bureaucrats in legislative decision-making of the Council of the EU. The book examines and describes the Council of Ministers' committee system and its internal decision-making process. Relying on a wide quantitative dataset as well as six detailed case studies in the policy areas of Agriculture, Environment, and Taxation, it provides a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the extent to which national bureaucrats act as law-makers in the Council. It also examines the degree to which theories on collective decision-making, delegation, and international socialization can account for variation in the involvement of bureaucrats. Investigating how often and why national officials in working parties and committees, rather than ministers, make legislative decisions in the EU, this book addresses the implications of bureaucratic influence for the democratic legitimacy of Council decision-making. The author finds that ministers play a generally more important role in legislative decision-making than often assumed, alleviating, to some extent, concerns about the democratic legitimacy of Council decisions. Bureaucrats as Law-Makers will be of interest to students, scholars and practitioners in the field of European Union politics and policy-making, legislative decision-making, intergovernmental negotiations and international socialization.

Download or read book The European Council written by Simon Bulmer and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using a wide range of material the authors aim to provide a thorough assessment of the European Council's work from 1975 to 1985. They explain its fluctuating performance, its impact on other European Community institutions and analyze it in the context of international and domestic issues.