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Handbook on European Union Public Administration
This Handbook introduces the institutions, organisations and policy processes that make up EU public administration, including those that typically operate beneath the surface, and critically reviews the state of the art in research. Paying close attention to the multi-level nature of EU governance, it is a vital resource for graduate and postgraduate students in the disciplines of European studies, political science and EU law.
This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.
This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
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This Handbook is your one-stop shop for navigating public administration in the European Union, and understanding how its governance differs vastly from that of unitary states. Gijs Jan Brandsma compiles a diverse range of perspectives to assess the ever-changing institutional architecture of the EU, paying close attention to the interlinking mechanisms between the supranational, national and subnational level.
Encompassing the institutions, organisations and policy processes that make up EU public administration, it critically reviews existing literature and presents avenues for future research. Contributors consider a broad spectrum of theoretical approaches to the topic, including federalism, institutionalism, constructivism and organisational theory. The Handbook introduces and discusses specific aspects of European public administration, in particular EU-level institutions, agencies, committees and networks, and their impact on EU governance. Chapters also analyse different stages of the policy cycle and issues surrounding the legitimacy of EU public administration.
This essential Handbook is a vital resource for graduate and postgraduate students in the disciplines of European studies, political science and EU law. It will also be of great benefit to academics and public administration practitioners interested in expanding their knowledge of public management, policy and governance.
Encompassing the institutions, organisations and policy processes that make up EU public administration, it critically reviews existing literature and presents avenues for future research. Contributors consider a broad spectrum of theoretical approaches to the topic, including federalism, institutionalism, constructivism and organisational theory. The Handbook introduces and discusses specific aspects of European public administration, in particular EU-level institutions, agencies, committees and networks, and their impact on EU governance. Chapters also analyse different stages of the policy cycle and issues surrounding the legitimacy of EU public administration.
This essential Handbook is a vital resource for graduate and postgraduate students in the disciplines of European studies, political science and EU law. It will also be of great benefit to academics and public administration practitioners interested in expanding their knowledge of public management, policy and governance.
Critical Acclaim
‘The public administration of the European Union is particularly difficult to grasp, intellectually and empirically, due to its horizontal and vertical complexity. Brandsma and his contributors are on target with this stellar volume that turns every possible stone to unveil how the EU public administration works.’
– Claudio M. Radaelli, European University Institute, Italy and University College London, UK
‘Unlike other Handbooks, the chapters of the Handbook on European Union Public Administration are held together by a commitment to both empirical discovery and theoretical innovation. This is not a simple “state of the art” approach, but rather a concerted effort by top-rated scholars to push the research frontier forward. Highly recommended.’
– Mark Rhinard, Stockholm University, Sweden
‘Like it or not, public administration matters. And the EU is by no means an exception. This compendium brings together a fine selection from the “who is who” of EU public administration scholars. In an easily accessible way, the Handbook sheds light on state-of-the art normative, institutionalist and policy research on EU public administration. Highly recommended for administrators, academics, students, and everybody interested in better understanding how the EU works today.’
– Dirk Leuffen, University of Konstanz, Germany
‘This Handbook on European Union Public Administration, authored by outstanding researchers, provides essential insights into the intricate workings of EU administrative governance, covering theoretical perspectives, institutional insights, policy processes, and legitimacy issues. An indispensable Handbook for scholars and practitioners studying EU bureaucracy and multilevel policymaking.’
– Michael W. Bauer, European University Institute, Florence, Italy
– Claudio M. Radaelli, European University Institute, Italy and University College London, UK
‘Unlike other Handbooks, the chapters of the Handbook on European Union Public Administration are held together by a commitment to both empirical discovery and theoretical innovation. This is not a simple “state of the art” approach, but rather a concerted effort by top-rated scholars to push the research frontier forward. Highly recommended.’
– Mark Rhinard, Stockholm University, Sweden
‘Like it or not, public administration matters. And the EU is by no means an exception. This compendium brings together a fine selection from the “who is who” of EU public administration scholars. In an easily accessible way, the Handbook sheds light on state-of-the art normative, institutionalist and policy research on EU public administration. Highly recommended for administrators, academics, students, and everybody interested in better understanding how the EU works today.’
– Dirk Leuffen, University of Konstanz, Germany
‘This Handbook on European Union Public Administration, authored by outstanding researchers, provides essential insights into the intricate workings of EU administrative governance, covering theoretical perspectives, institutional insights, policy processes, and legitimacy issues. An indispensable Handbook for scholars and practitioners studying EU bureaucracy and multilevel policymaking.’
– Michael W. Bauer, European University Institute, Florence, Italy
Contributors
Contributors: Christian Adam, Pierre Alayrac, Jens Blom-Hansen, Gijs Jan Brandsma, Sara Connolly, Tom Delreux, Daniel Finke, Jana Gómez Díaz, Eva G. Heidbreder, Maarten Hillebrandt, Anna-Lena Högenauer, Hussein Kassim, Ellen Mastenbroek, Christine Neuhold, Ixchel Pérez-Durán, Jan Pollex, Daniel Polman, Sebastiaan Princen, Christian Rauh, Maria-Luisa Sánchez-Barrueco, Sabine Saurugger, Reini Schrama, Roman Senninger, Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen, Paul Stephenson, Eva Thomann, Jarle Trondal, Merve Uzunalioglu, Reinout van der Veer, Nikos Vogiatzis, Stijn van Voorst, Anchrit Wille, Tiziano Zgaga, Asya Zhelyazkova, Pieter Zwaan
Contents
Contents
1 Public administration in the European Union 1
Gijs Jan Brandsma
PART I THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
2 The federal core of EU multilevel administration 11
Eva G. Heidbreder
3 New institutionalism 22
Tom Delreux
4 Constructivism and public administration research in the EU 34
Sabine Saurugger
5 Organization theory, public administration, and the study of multilevel
executive order 45
Jarle Trondal
PART II INSTITUTIONS OF EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
6 The administration of the European Commission 64
Hussein Kassim, Sara Connolly, Pierre Alayrac and Merve Uzunalioglu
7 The administrative system of the European Parliament (EP): an
understudied engine room 95
Anna-Lena Högenauer and Christine Neuhold
8 The General Secretariat of the Council 108
Hussein Kassim and Sara Connolly
9 State of the art in the study of EU agencies: the role of trust as a turning point 138
Jana Gómez Díaz and Ixchel Pérez-Durán
10 European Administrative Networks 155
Reini Schrama, Ellen Mastenbroek and Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen
11 The Court of Justice of the European Union 169
Christian Adam
12 The European Court of Auditors 184
Paul Stephenson and Maria-Luisa Sánchez-Barrueco
13 The European Ombudsman in the EU’s administrative and institutional
framework 203
Nikos Vogiatzis
PART III POLICY PROCESSES IN EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
14 Agenda-setting in EU policy-making 216
Sebastiaan Princen
15 Impact assessments 229
Jan Pollex
16 Coordination in the European Commission 239
Jens Blom-Hansen, Daniel Finke and Roman Senninger
17 Delegated and implementing acts: rule-making by the Commission 253
Gijs Jan Brandsma
18 Transposition of European Union legislation 266
Tiziano Zgaga and Asya Zhelyazkova
19 Practical implementation of European Union policies by member state
administrations and street-level bureaucrats 279
Eva Thomann and Tiziano Zgaga
20 Member states’ compliance and enforcement in the EU: concepts,
drivers and future research avenues 294
Asya Zhelyazkova
21 Evaluations, consultations and networks: formal and informal routes for
policy feedback? 309
Pieter Zwaan, Daniel Polman and Stijn van Voorst
PART IV LEGITIMACY OF EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
22 Better regulation 322
Jan Pollex and Stijn van Voorst
23 Transparency of EU public administration: harbinger of legitimacy or
fig leaf for its absence? 332
Maarten Hillebrandt
24 The EU’s accountability landscape 344
Anchrit Wille
25 Responsiveness 362
Christian Rauh and Reinout van der Veer
1 Public administration in the European Union 1
Gijs Jan Brandsma
PART I THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
2 The federal core of EU multilevel administration 11
Eva G. Heidbreder
3 New institutionalism 22
Tom Delreux
4 Constructivism and public administration research in the EU 34
Sabine Saurugger
5 Organization theory, public administration, and the study of multilevel
executive order 45
Jarle Trondal
PART II INSTITUTIONS OF EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
6 The administration of the European Commission 64
Hussein Kassim, Sara Connolly, Pierre Alayrac and Merve Uzunalioglu
7 The administrative system of the European Parliament (EP): an
understudied engine room 95
Anna-Lena Högenauer and Christine Neuhold
8 The General Secretariat of the Council 108
Hussein Kassim and Sara Connolly
9 State of the art in the study of EU agencies: the role of trust as a turning point 138
Jana Gómez Díaz and Ixchel Pérez-Durán
10 European Administrative Networks 155
Reini Schrama, Ellen Mastenbroek and Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen
11 The Court of Justice of the European Union 169
Christian Adam
12 The European Court of Auditors 184
Paul Stephenson and Maria-Luisa Sánchez-Barrueco
13 The European Ombudsman in the EU’s administrative and institutional
framework 203
Nikos Vogiatzis
PART III POLICY PROCESSES IN EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
14 Agenda-setting in EU policy-making 216
Sebastiaan Princen
15 Impact assessments 229
Jan Pollex
16 Coordination in the European Commission 239
Jens Blom-Hansen, Daniel Finke and Roman Senninger
17 Delegated and implementing acts: rule-making by the Commission 253
Gijs Jan Brandsma
18 Transposition of European Union legislation 266
Tiziano Zgaga and Asya Zhelyazkova
19 Practical implementation of European Union policies by member state
administrations and street-level bureaucrats 279
Eva Thomann and Tiziano Zgaga
20 Member states’ compliance and enforcement in the EU: concepts,
drivers and future research avenues 294
Asya Zhelyazkova
21 Evaluations, consultations and networks: formal and informal routes for
policy feedback? 309
Pieter Zwaan, Daniel Polman and Stijn van Voorst
PART IV LEGITIMACY OF EU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
22 Better regulation 322
Jan Pollex and Stijn van Voorst
23 Transparency of EU public administration: harbinger of legitimacy or
fig leaf for its absence? 332
Maarten Hillebrandt
24 The EU’s accountability landscape 344
Anchrit Wille
25 Responsiveness 362
Christian Rauh and Reinout van der Veer
