The European Commission in Turbulent Times
Assessing Organizational Change and Policy Impact
Zusammenfassung
Die Europäische Union durchlebt turbulente Zeiten. Die Auswirkungen der Banken- und Staatsschuldenkrisen, die aktuellen Migrationsbewegungen sowie der Austritt Großbritanniens sind nur einige der Herausforderungen, die den Zusammenhalt der Europäischen Union gegenwärtig auf eine harte Probe stellen. Vor diesem Hintergrund analysieren die Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler in diesem Band die Europäische Kommission. Ziel ist eine Bestandaufnahme und Neubewertung ihrer Rolle im politischen System der EU, ihrer internen Organisationsstrukturen und Prozesse sowie ihrer Politikgestaltungs- und Implementationsfunktionen. Der Band kommt dabei zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Kommission trotz der zahlreichen Herausforderungen nach wie vor entscheidenden Einfluss auf das Integrationsgeschehen hat. Die Gründe dafür liegen dabei sowohl in den absichtsvollen Entscheidungen der Mitgliedsstaaten, als auch im politischen Aktivismus der Kommission selbst.
Mit Beiträgen von
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels, Marieke Eckhardt, Prof. Dr. Andreas Maurer, Michael C. Wolf, Dr. Christian Adam, Prof. Dr. Miriam Hartlapp, Dipl.-Jur. Robert Böttner, Prof. Dr. Ingeborg Tömmel, Prof. Dr. Sandra Eckert, Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt, Prof. Dr. Marc Ringel, Prof. Dr. Hussein Kassim, Prof. Dr. Sara Connolly, Prof. Dr. Michael W. Bauer, Dr. Jörn Ege, Stefan Becker, M.A..
Abstract
Die Europäische Union durchlebt turbulente Zeiten. Die Auswirkungen der Banken- und Staatsschuldenkrisen, die aktuellen Migrationsbewegungen sowie der Austritt Großbritanniens sind nur einige der Herausforderungen, die den Zusammenhalt der Europäischen Union gegenwärtig auf eine harte Probe stellen. Vor diesem Hintergrund analysieren die Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler in diesem Band die Europäische Kommission. Ziel ist eine Bestandaufnahme und Neubewertung ihrer Rolle im politischen System der EU, ihrer internen Organisationsstrukturen und Prozesse sowie ihrer Politikgestaltungs- und Implementationsfunktionen. Der Band kommt dabei zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Kommission trotz der zahlreichen Herausforderungen nach wie vor entscheidenden Einfluss auf das Integrationsgeschehen hat. Die Gründe dafür liegen dabei sowohl in den absichtsvollen Entscheidungen der Mitgliedsstaaten, als auch im politischen Aktivismus der Kommission selbst.
Mit Beiträgen von
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels, Marieke Eckhardt, Prof. Dr. Andreas Maurer, Michael C. Wolf, Dr. Christian Adam, Prof. Dr. Miriam Hartlapp, Dipl.-Jur. Robert Böttner, Prof. Dr. Ingeborg Tömmel, Prof. Dr. Sandra Eckert, Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt, Prof. Dr. Marc Ringel, Prof. Dr. Hussein Kassim, Prof. Dr. Sara Connolly, Prof. Dr. Michael W. Bauer, Dr. Jörn Ege, Stefan Becker, M.A..
- Kapitel Ausklappen | EinklappenSeiten
- 1–8 Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis 1–8
- 9–30 Chapter 1: The European Commission and the Disintegration of Europe – Taking Stock and Looking Ahead 9–30
- 1. The European Commission in Turbulent Times
- 2. Researching the Commission: Current Debates and Key Findings of this Volume
- 2.1 The Commission within the Institutional System of the EU
- 2.2 The Commission as an Organization – Internal Structures, Processes and Leadership
- 2.3 Policy-Making and Implementation
- 3. Outlook and Avenues for Future Research on the European Commission
- References
- 31–52 Chapter 2: The European Commission – Agent, Principal and Partner to the European Council? 31–52
- 1. Introduction: Discussing a Complex and in-flux Relationship
- 2. The Study of Principal Agent Relations: Models for the Relationship between the European Council and the Commission?
- 3. Three Models for Examining the Relationship between the European Council and the European Commission
- 3.1 Model 1: The Commission as a Secretariat to the European Council
- 3.2 Model 2: The Commission as a Hidden Principal
- 3.3 Model 3: The Commission and the European Council as Specific Partners
- 4. Principal and Agent? Real World Power Constellations of the Two Institutions
- 4.1 Actor Constellations in the Legislative Process and Policy Initiation
- 4.2 Fiscal Surveillance: Limited Powers of Supranational Surveillance
- 4.3 The Commission’s Autonomy as a Function of Control Mechanisms by the European Council?
- 5. Conclusion and Perspectives: an influx Inter-Institutional Relationship
- References
- 53–84 Chapter 3: Agenda-Shaping in the European Parliament and the European Commission’s right of legislative initiative 53–84
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Theory
- 3. Channels of Indirect Initiatives
- 4. Own-Initiative Reports
- 4.1 Non-Legislative Own-Initiative Reports (INI)
- 4.2 Legislative Own-Initiative Reports (INL)
- 5. Empirical Analysis
- 5.1 State of Research
- 5.2 Quantitative Analysis of INI and INL Reports
- 5.3 Qualitative Analysis of INI and INL Reports
- 5.3.1 Impact on the European Commission’s Legislative Agenda (INI)
- 5.3.2 Translating Information and Consultation into Agenda-Shaping: INI-Reports and the EU’s Trade Policy
- 5.3.3 Impact on the European Commission’s Legislative Agenda (INL)
- 5.4 Empirical Conclusions
- 6. Conclusion
- References
- 85–112 Chapter 4: Judicial Control of the Guardian – Explaining Patterns of Governmental Annulment Litigation against the European Commission 85–112
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Annulment Litigation and Conflict over Policy Application
- 3. Analytical Frame
- 3.1 Creative Agency by the Commission
- 3.2 Inept Application by Agent Governments
- 3.3 Heterogeneous Preferences in the Council
- 3.4 Interrupted Relationship
- 4. Data and Methods
- 5. Empirical Evidence
- 6. Conclusion
- References
- 113–132 Chapter 5: Project Teams in the European Commission – A fair balance between efficiency and politics? 113–132
- 1. Development of the Size of the European Commission
- 2. For and Against the “one Member State, one Commissioner” Rule
- 3. Project Teams as a Middle Course under the Status Quo
- 3.1 Design of the Project Teams
- 3.2 Legal Foundation for the Establishment of Project Teams
- 3.3 Legal Limits for the Establishment of Project Teams
- 4. Conclusion
- References
- 133–158 Chapter 6: Political Leadership in Turbulent Times – the Commission Presidency of Jean-Claude Juncker 133–158
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Commission Presidents as Political Leaders – some Theoretical Insights
- 3. Commission President Juncker as a Political Leader – an Analytical Framework
- 4. Jean-Claude Juncker’s Leadership Performance
- 4.1 Setting the Agenda I: Basic Goals and Policy Projects
- 4.2 Setting the Agenda II: Proposals for the Reform of the EU
- 4.3 Setting the Agenda III: Strengthening the Commission and the Supranational Dimension of the EU
- 4.4 Managing Procedures for Decision-Making I: Reorganising the College of Commissioners and Allocating Portfolios
- 4.5 Managing Procedures for Decision-Making II: Shaping Inter-Institutional Proceedings
- 5. Conclusions: Assessing Juncker's Performance: What Kind of Leadership?
- References
- 159–180 Chapter 7: The European Commission as a Negotiator – Evidence from the Disintegration Talks with the United Kingdom and Switzerland 159–180
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The European Commission’s Powers in Negotiations
- 3. The Institutional Triangle Revisited
- 3.1 The Commission’s Procedural Role
- 3.2 Mobilising other Powers
- 4. The Commission in the Brexit and “Schwexit” Talks
- 4.1 Internal Negotiations: a Special Deal for the UK
- 4.2 Negotiating with Third Countries – Swiss Demands
- 5. A Leap in the Dark – Brexit Negotiations
- 6. Conclusions
- References
- 181–206 Chapter 8: The European Commission as a Policy Shaper – Harder Soft Governance in the Energy Union 181–206
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Role of the Commission in Soft Governance
- 3. Analytical Framework and Methods
- 4. Harder Soft Governance in the Proposed Governance Regulation 2016
- 5. Explaining the Commission’s Effort for Harder Soft Government
- 5.1 Limited Formal Competences for the Commission and No National Binding Targets
- 5.2 Dialogic Structures as Informal Organisation of Politics
- 5.3 High Degree of Politicisation Due to a Deep Cleavage Between Member States
- 5.4 Linking International Agreement to Enhance the Legitimacy of the Commission’s Policy
- 5.5 The Institutional Self-Interest of the Commission to Establish a Harder Soft Governance
- 6. The Commission as a Policy Shaper Through Harder Soft Governance
- References
- 207–232 Chapter 9: Steering Soft Economic Governance – The Commission and Country-specific Recommendations in the European Semester 207–232
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Engineering the Europe 2020 Strategy
- 3. Coupling Hard and Soft Economic Governance in the European Semester
- 4. Shifting the Thematic Emphasis of Country-specific Recommendations
- 5. Directing the Delivery of Country-specific Recommendations
- 6. Discussion and Outlook
- References
- 233–250 Chapter 10: Still Standing – The European Commission After a Decade of Turbulence 233–250
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The European Commission in an inter-institutional setting
- 3. Organizational
- 4. Policy
- 5. Research on the European Commission: widening the perspective
- 6. Conclusion
- References
- 251–254 Short Biographies 251–254