crucial to identify important factors in the EU legislative decision-making process that may impact its speed. This understanding can assist decision-makers in identifying the root causes of... Show morecrucial to identify important factors in the EU legislative decision-making process that may impact its speed. This understanding can assist decision-makers in identifying the root causes of legislative stagnation and devising strategies to mitigate them, thereby culminating in the creation of policies that hold democratic legitimacy to effectively tackle the dilemma faced by the EU. Stakeholder involvement in EU decision-making processes has become a critical aspect for the EU, particularly for the European Commission, to enhance democratic legitimacy and internal power. However, reconciling divergent stakeholder opinions poses a challenge for EU decision-makers. Based on four empirical studies, this dissertation examines why it is necessary to consider stakeholder opinions and member-states preferences, as well as how they interact to influence decision-making outcomes. By utilizing quantitative analyses and qualitative case studies, this dissertation underlines how negative stakeholder opinions influence the positions adopted by member states within the Council, thereby increasing the transaction costs of bargaining among member states by prolonging the legislative process and consequently leads to efficiency losses. The findings shed light on the difficult task of resolving the democratic deficit in EU legislative politics and the implications for balancing the democratic legitimacy and political efficiency of EU policymaking systems. 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
