Committee Decision-Making in the European Union: between Legitimacy and Efficiency

Abstract

When picturing policy-making in the European Union (EU), we usually think of national mini _ sters and commis� ioners bargaining over a proposal in the Council building in Brussels or Members of the Europ� an Parhament (EP) d� batmg � nd voting in the plenary of the EP in Strasbourg. And indeed, these phenomena are � ssenhal parts of the _ E? pohcy-�akmg process. However, a reduction of the process to these features risks missing other important char� ct�nshcs. In par _ h� ular, a focus on the voting and bargaining _be�avior of high-level p _ lay� rs like Members � f the EP, C�mm_ 1ss1� ners, and _ Mm1sters in the Council overlooks the potenhal mfluence of the bod1es m charge of most day-to-day leg1slahve work m the EU, namely committees. EU committees come in all sorts and shapes and play vi� al roles in all stages of t�e ��licy cycle. �ocalled 'comitology' committees assist the Commission in implementi _ ng EU pohcy and expert groups � dv1se 1t _ m formul� ting legislative proposals. These legislative proposals are subsequently d1scussed and _ amended b! the EP s stand1� g comm1ttees and by the working parties in the Council. The influential roles of these comm1ttees pose important queshons about the legitimacy and efficiency of EU policy-making