Opis: The European Commission, Expert Groups and the Policy Process - Julia Metz

Challenging the assumption that policy makers' work with advisory committees is emblematic of technocratic governance, this book provides an authoritative account of European Commission expert groups and their role in the EU policy process. It offers a rich empirical investigation of an understudied and highly topical subject matter, including an analysis of the Commission's expert-group system, in-depth studies of single expert groups, and a cross-sectoral view. The results challenge the prevailing view of expert groups as purely technocratic entities. Expert groups provide not only solutions to complex policy problems but also tactical support for predefined policies, and they broker consensus in anticipation of impending decision making. By showing how and why the European Commission uses its expert groups, this book offers novel insights into the relationship between policy makers and their advisors in modern governance. 'This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the European Commission's expert committees, drawing on quantitative data as well as on case studies. The expert group system has so far been seen as one of the main indicators of the Commission's predominantly technocratic nature. Metz challenges this view, showing that expert groups are parts of a basically political process, thus portraying the Commission more as a 'normal' political executive than as a technocratic body.'- Professor Morten Egeberg, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway 'Julia Metz has produced a path-breaking study of an under-researched dimension of committee governance: the European Commission's expert groups. Drawing on resource dependency theory, and offering in-depth empirical findings, the book sheds light on the different ways (instrumental, consensus-building and substantiating) in which the Commission makes use of external expertise.'- Professor Michelle Cini, Jean Monnet Chair in European Politics, University of Bristol, UKFigures and Tables Acknowledgements Abbreviations PART I: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Expert groups: What do we know from the literature? 1.2. Expert groups in the policy process and the role of resource dependencies 1.3. Investigating European Commission expert groups 1.4. Outline of the book PART II: A RELATIONSHIP OF RESOURCE DEPENDENCIES 2.1. Resource dependence theory 2.2. The European Commission as a resource-dependent organization 2.3. The European Commission's demand for resources 2.4. A typology of expert-group use 2.5. Determinants of the European Commission's use of expert groups 2.6. Conclusion PART III: A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW 3.1. Expert groups explained 3.2. Quantitative analysis: Challenging the myth of technocracy 3.3. Conclusion PART IV: TECHNICAL ADVICE UNITED WITH POLITICAL AGENDA SETTING 4.1. The Information Society Technologies Advisory Group 4.2. Providing expertise to the Sixth Framework Programme 4.3. Supporting DG Information Society's budget request for the Seventh Framework Programme 4.4. Conclusion PARTV: POWERFULLY SHAPING THE COMMISSION'S RESEARCH AGENDA 5.1. The European Research Advisory Board 5.2. The expert group's strong impact on the Seventh Framework Programme 5.3. Giving credence to DG Research's position on the European Institute of Technology 5.4. Conclusion PART VI: A REALITY CHECK AND CLEARING HOUSE 6.1. The Enterprise Policy Group 6.2. A brief encounter between the expert group and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme 6.3. Conclusion PART VII: ACCUMULATING POLITICAL AMMUNITION 7.1. The European Research Area Expert Group on Research Infrastructures 7.2. Defending the Commission's legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure 7.3. Conclusion PART VIII: A CROSS-SECTORAL VIEW 8.1. Insights from the case studies: Resource dependencies and administrative culture 8.2. Expert-group use across policy areas 8.3. Conclusion PART IX: CONCLUSION: TECHNOCRATIC GOVERNANCE BETWEEN MYTH AND REALITY 9.1. Resource dependencies revisited 9.2. The European Commission, expert groups, and the policy process: New insights 9.3. Beyond the European Union: The relationship between policy makers and experts 9.4. Expert groups, legitimacy, and transparency - and what to do about it Appendix References

Szczegóły: The European Commission, Expert Groups and the Policy Process - Julia Metz

Tytuł: The European Commission, Expert Groups and the Policy Process
Autor: Julia Metz
Producent: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9781137437228
Rok produkcji: 2015
Ilość stron: 264
Oprawa: Twarda
Waga: 0.45 kg

Recenzje: The European Commission, Expert Groups and the Policy Process - Julia Metz