There is no clear view on how accountability is organised in the context of transgovernmental networks. In literature there is predominant view that accountability is threatened by the existence of... Show moreThere is no clear view on how accountability is organised in the context of transgovernmental networks. In literature there is predominant view that accountability is threatened by the existence of transgovernmental networks. This dissertation takes a micro-level approach by focusing on participants of transgovernmental networks, to understand the dynamics of accountability in this setting. This dissertation makes use of theory building and testing. A theoretical model links the function and governance style of a transgovernmental network to the type of accountability that can be expected. Four distinct empirical cases show that there is a link between the level of formalisation of a governance style and the extent of control. Moreover, this research shows that the function of a transgovernmental network is indicative for the source of control. Show less
Interest groups are often described as transmission belts that connect the preferences of their members with public officials in policymaking processes. Through this linkage, public officials can... Show moreInterest groups are often described as transmission belts that connect the preferences of their members with public officials in policymaking processes. Through this linkage, public officials can obtain relevant information and gain legitimacy from those affected by public policies. However, this important intermediary function is not a straightforward endeavor as interest groups often struggle to reconcile their dual function of representing their members while being politically active. This dissertation unpacks interest groups mobilized at the European Union level and examines how they are organized so as to function as transmission belts. Subsequently, it analyzes the effects of this transmissive role for the level of access and influence obtained by groups in policymaking processes. The findings shed light on the difficult task of groups in balancing member involvement while being politically active and the implications for the legitimacy of our governance systems. Show less
The dissertation examines the application of EU farm animal welfare legislation in 27 member states. It develops a theoretical framework that applies insights from the transposition literature to... Show moreThe dissertation examines the application of EU farm animal welfare legislation in 27 member states. It develops a theoretical framework that applies insights from the transposition literature to the post-transposition phase of implementation and derives hypotheses to explain cross-national variation in implementation success. The hypotheses are centered on the notion that the pressure to adapt to EU requirements makes post-transposition application difficult. Countering adaptation pressure, the presence of discretion, whereby member states have some flexibility to adapt requirements to their national circumstances, helps to alleviate the difficulties brought on by adaptation pressure. Additional hypotheses are derived from the transposition literature concerning the geographic and organizational decentralization of implementation authority and the length of transposition delay prior to application. The hypotheses are tested through a mixed methods design that combines a set of case studies and a quantitative analysis of the implementation of all major requirements applied in 27 member states in the legislation within this policy area. Support is found for the adaptation pressure and discretion hypotheses, while limited support is found for the hypotheses concerning the decentralization of implementation authority Show less
The European Council, the institution bringing together the Heads of State and Government of the European Union member states, has played an important role in steering the European integration... Show moreThe European Council, the institution bringing together the Heads of State and Government of the European Union member states, has played an important role in steering the European integration process. This dissertation analyses the nature of the European Council’s agenda in relation to the institution’s standing in the EU policy-making framework, focusing on the magnitude and level of attention changes. The studies then delve into on specific aspects which could potentially act as agenda determinants and critically evaluate their role in analyses covering long-term periods. Factors belonging to three broad categories are considered – institutional conditions (the Presidency), external stakeholders’ effect (public opinion) and the ‘problem stream’ (economic indicators and focusing events). Show less
he creation of European Union agencies is arguably one of the most prominent institutional innovations at the EU level in recent history. Especially since the early 1990s, the EU and its member... Show morehe creation of European Union agencies is arguably one of the most prominent institutional innovations at the EU level in recent history. Especially since the early 1990s, the EU and its member states delegated a wide range of (semi-)regulatory, monitoring, and coordination tasks to a quickly growing number of agencies. Most existing research focuses on the creation of these agencies. As a result, we do not know much about how agencies develop after their creation. EU agencies are formally independent, but do they also behave autonomously in practice? How does actual autonomy vary across EU agencies and how does this affect the role these agencies play in the multi-level system of European governance? This study addresses these questions theoretically and empirically by comparing six EU agencies – the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Environm ent Agency (EEA), the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), Europol and Eurojust. It shows how some of these agencies develop into relatively autonomous entities by acquiring a distinct organisational character and by generating support from actors in their environment, whereas other agencies do so to a much lesser extent or not at all. Show less
Countries that wish to join the European Union (EU) need to implement all existing EU laws before they are admitted as full members. Since the body of EU law comprises more than 80 000 pages and... Show moreCountries that wish to join the European Union (EU) need to implement all existing EU laws before they are admitted as full members. Since the body of EU law comprises more than 80 000 pages and more than 2 000 directives, the adoption of EU law is a truly formidable task for any government. How have the eight countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) that joined the EU in 2004 coped with this requirement of the enlargement process? Surprisingly, this thesis reveals that these post-communist states have been quite successful in adopting the EU directives. Moreover, there is interesting variation in the performance of the new member states with some countries, like Lithuania, doing particularly well, while other, like the Czech Republic, having more problems than average. The thesis argues that the general success of the process of legal adaptation to EU laws in CEE can be largely explained by the conditionality of the enl argement process (EU entry is only possible if and when the condition of implementing the EU rules is fulfilled). Combing statistical methods and case studies in three policy fields (electronic communications, nature protection, and social policy), the thesis concludes that the varying implementation performance in different countries and policy sectors can be explained by reference to the CEE governments’ level of support for the process of European integration, their administrative capacities and the threat of financial sanctions for non-implementation of the EU rules after accession. Show less
Many legislative decisions of the Council of the EuropeanUnion are de facto made in preparatory bodies by national officials anddiplomats. Ministers rubber-stamp these committee decisions without... Show moreMany legislative decisions of the Council of the EuropeanUnion are de facto made in preparatory bodies by national officials anddiplomats. Ministers rubber-stamp these committee decisions without discussion.Drawing on statistical as well as case study evidence, the study investigatesthe extent to which this actually occurs. Based on a formal-theoreticaldiscussion of possible explanations, the study also examines the causes for whycertain decisions are made by committee members and others by ministers. Ingeneral, the empirical findings alleviate concerns about the democraticlegitimacy of Council decisions. Show less
Better regulation in the European Union cannot be achieved without serious attention to transposition of EU law into national legislation. As a matter of fact, EU member states breach EU law __... Show moreBetter regulation in the European Union cannot be achieved without serious attention to transposition of EU law into national legislation. As a matter of fact, EU member states breach EU law __ perpetuately. Why do member states miss deadlines when transposing EU internal market directives? What factors determine delays when transposing EU directives? How do these factors influence the timeliness of the national transposition processes? And under what conditions are transpositions of directives delayed? This study analyses the timeliness of national transposition processes across nine member states of the 2004 EU transport acquis. Based on a truly mixed-method approach __ a new quantitative data set with further insights gleaned from four controlled case studies and a concluding fuzzy set analysis - this study shows that the European Union has a serious transposition problem. Almost 70 percent of all national legal measures transposing the transport acquis cause problems, either because they are transposed too late, risking the opening of an infringement proceeding, or because they are too early (gold-plating), risking warping effects on the regulatory environment for business and citizens in the EU alike. Furthermore, this book provides some progress regarding the conditions under which transposition performance of member states could be improved. Seven potential European and national drivers and constrainers for timely transposition can be identified with different effects on the lengths of transposition delays. Distinguishing between three outcomes of transposition process (on time, short and long delay) it is the specific features of European directives that account for short term delays, whereas serious time lags of more than six months are a result of domestic factors. Furthermore, the timing of general elections in a member state and policy sector-related crises retard or rather accelerate national transposition processes just as political priority represents a significant necessary condition for timeliness. Show less
