EU Participatory Governance impact's on European Identity

by Ferran [email protected]

PhD researcher - Political Scientist

Participatory governance and ICTs in

the EU

VUB Summer School – European Identity

mailto:[email protected]

1 – Tweet to the European Commission

@EU_Commission

#VUB #SummerSchool

106 char.

Cross-cluster Presentation 321/11/14

#rhizome


#EuropeanPublicSphere


#citizenship


#EuropeanIdentity


#PoliticalMachinery


#EconomicUnion


#PoliticalUnion

Ferran Davesa, IESJuly 2015

Lipset, S.M. (1959). Some social requisites of democracy

EFFECTIVENESS: Is the actual performance of a political system. Effectiveness entangles in the ability of governments to resolve political problems –being primarily a function of economic development

Effectiveness - Legitimacy

LEGITIMACY: Is the capacity of a political system to engender and maintain the belief that the existing political institutions are the most appropriate or proper ones for the society

2- Basic components political stability

Constellations for the stability of regimes

Ferran Davesa, IES

Effectiveness

Security

Development

Welfare

Utility

Expertise

Neutrality

Legitimacy

Trust

Confidence

Satisfaction

Identity

Responsiveness

Ownership

Results (facts) Endorsement (believes)

July 2015


#Euroskepticism

Ferran Davesa, IES July 2015


#Need4AChange


#JürgenHabermas


#OldMedia

“The lack of a common European language, a European media or a European public opinion

ensures that the communicative discourse comes largely by way of national political actors

speaking to national publics in national languages re-ported by national media and

considered by national opinion

”

Schmidt, V. (2013). Democracy and legitimacy in the European Unionc


“Where the Union acts effectively, it rarely gets proper credit for its actions. People do not

see that improvements in their rights and quality of life actually come from European

rather than national decisions. But at the same time, they expect the Union to act as effectively and visibly as their national governments

”European Commission (2001)…



“By the same token, Member States do not communicate well about what the Union is

doing and what they are doing in the Union. “Brussels” is too easily blamed by Member

States for difficult decisions that they themselves have agreed or even requested



“Finally, many people do not know the difference between the Institutions. They do not understand who takes the decisions that affect them and do not feel the Institutions act as an

effective channel for their views and concerns


“[t]he Union is changing […]. It will no longer be judged solely by its ability to remove barriers to trade or to complete an internal market; its legitimacy today depends on involvement and participation”European Commission (2001: 11). European Governance. A White Paper

European Commission’s approachParticipation through ICTs

• Reforming the Commission, a White Paper – Part II. Action Plan, COM(2000)200

• European Governance, a White Paper, COM(2001)428• General principles and minimum standards for consultation of

interested parties by the Commission, COM(2002)704• The Commission’s Contribution to the Period of Reflection and

Beyond: Plan-D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate, COM(2005)494• White Paper on a European Communication Policy, COM(2006)35• Communicating about Europe via the Internet. Engaging the citizens,

SEC(2007) 1742• Communicating Europe in Partnership, COM(2007)568


Openness

Participation

AccountabilityEffectiveness

Coherence

3- White Paper’s good governance principles


Solving the legitimacy dilemma

Making Participation Matter


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUHpGEEEHSM

European Commission’sNew ICT-based participatory governance

Advisory Groups

Online Consult.

Structured Dialogue

Web 2.0 & new ICTs

Stakeholderparticipation

Your voiceIn Europe

Agenda set.by citizens

Interactivesoc. media

A B C D


A. Stakeholders’ participationEuropean Commission’s advisory groups


European Commission’sAdvisory groups

• Advisory groups Known as expert groups• Provide input from stakeholders in areas where

the Commission lacks internal expertise• Their support all Directorate-General (DGs)

They shape Commission thinking around new policies and legislation

Expert participation ≠ Inclusive = Representative?



Most expert groups = CORPORATE DOMINATED

• The European Parliament froze twice the Groups’ budget (2011/2012)

• An informal dialogue was initiated between the Commission and a group of MEPs

The budget was finally approved under the following conditions:



No corporate domination

No lobbyists sitting in a personal capacity

Open call for public applications

Full transparency of minutes and agenda

one year after…


European Commission’s Advisory groups


21Hendrix Presentation19/02/15


Participation Expertise Representative=+

Pesendorfer, D. (2006). EU environmental policy under pressure: Chemicals policy change between antagonistic goals?

“The ‘business coalition’ used new modes of governance – developed by the Commission – […] as well as traditional forms of lobbying to bring the Commission proposal in line with neo-liberal ideas. ‘[N]ew governance’ did not result in ‘better regulation’ and in a ‘sound balance between economic, social and environmental goals’. It reinstalled key players in a veto position and did little to enhance effective participation of the public.”


B. Your Voice in EuropeEuropean Commission’s online

consultations Main website

Consultations Experts=+ Non-Experts

Inclusiveness Accessible language= Clear

meaningVisualappeal

+

Alternative consultation approach


http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/

http://electio2014.eu/

C. Citizen Agenda-SettingThe Structured Dialogue with Youth

EU Structured Dialogue with Youth - Process

Consultations =+ Evidence-Based Policy Makingthrough PARTICIPATION

EU Youth Conference 2014 - Rome

Phase1

Deliberation =+ Citizen Agenda-Settingthrough REPRESENTATION

Phase2


https://vimeo.com/69176445

http://www.it2014youth.eu/en/news/european-youth-conference-rome-13-16-october-2014

“Parliament cannot accept the move to reduce the legislative powers and the participation in the legislative process of the one institution to be directly elected by European citizens; enhancing communication between citizens and the institutions of the Union necessarily entails strengthening Parliament's legislative powers, giving more time in which to use them”European Parliament (2001). Report on the Commission White Paper on European Governance

European Parliament’sStrengthening Representation through ICTs

Inter-groups

Europ. Cit. Initiative

(EYE) Hearings

Web 2.0 & new ICTs

Stakeholderparticipation

You can setthe agenda!

Ideas for a better Europe

Interactivesoc. media

A B C D


A. European Parliament’s Intergroups

Stakeholder participation

Participation Expertise Representative=+

Lamaison, M. (2014). Intergroups: a lobbying tool in the European Parliament

“Unlike parliamentary Committees, Intergroups are not EP organs and do not have legislative power. Consequently, they are not part of the decision making process; they however aim at influencing it. They are a lobbying tool. With the organization of conferences, briefings or exhibitions, Intergroups seek to build a network of MEPs who can be mobilized when necessary or to shed light on an issue in order to convince the European institutions to act”

?


B. European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)

You can set the agenda!Calling on the European Commission to make a legislative proposal

A policy area where the EU is competent to submit a proposal for a legal act

7 EU citizens from different Member States – Citizens’ Committee

1.000.000 signatures, 7 Member States the INTERNET factor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Pis3j2RUs

http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/initiatives/finalised/details/2012/000005

http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/initiatives/finalised/details/2013/000007

http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/how-it-works

B. European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)

You can set the agenda!

Participation Influence Representative=+

Influence Organizationalresources= Media

attentionPublic

support


C. (EYE) Parliamentary Hearings

Ideas for a Better Europe

Deliberation =+ Citizen Deliberationthrough PARTICIPATION

Phase1

Agenda-Setting =+ Citizen Agenda-Setting

through REPRESENTATION Phase

2


http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eye2014/en/news/news.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT5wldUfg9o&index=6&list=LLUNwNsyutsrpUUt55G313ag

D. Interactive CommunicationsAn example of interaction via social media


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAfdS5Mk9cA&feature=em-uploademail

EU Participatory Governance impact's on European Identity

Education

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