The EU as a Multilevel System and its Challenges

Abstract

The papers that will be presented in the panel emphasize important implications caused by the vertical and horizontal multilevel structure of the EU and analyse consequences for political actors as well as the citizens of the EU. By focusing on the EU’s regional policy the first paper focuses on how New Modes of Governance (NMG) contribute to the enhancement of the EU’s democratic legitimacy. Another paper ascertains how interest group advocacy, regarded as a communicative process, act upon the deliberative dimension in the EU’s policy making process. Moreover, another paper contributes to the democratic condition of the EU by focusing on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). The paper transfers analytical tools developed in the national context to the ECI and investigates its application to the specific institutional setting of the EU. Furthermore the panel puts a focus on how various multilevel actors influence the EU policy making process. By emphasizing the informal practices occurring within the European Parliament in terms of intergroup activities between MEP’s, representatives of the European Commission and civil society actors a paper investigates the interplay of various actors located at different levels. Moreover one paper analyses how citizens evaluate national governments and EU institutions according to macroeconomic conditions to contribute to the multi-level description on shared authority. Another paper discusses how EU issues are politicized during national election campaigns and puts a focus on the varying strategies between government and opposition parties in terms of overall salience, the emphasis of economic aspects of the EU and at what point in the campaign parties refer to the EU. The panel will be topped off with a comprehensive investigation on how member states react to case law of the European Court of Justice on student mobility grants in terms of extending or contracting social benefits.

Title	Details
Understanding Lobbying as a Deliberative Process: Contrasting Theoretical Approaches to Interest Group Advocacy at the EU-Level	View Paper Details
Democratic Legitimacy and New Modes of Governance in the EU	View Paper Details
Measuring the Success of the European Citizens’ Initiative? Transferring Tools of Analysis for National Instruments of Citizen Participation to the European Context	View Paper Details
To Hear Some Parties Talk About Europe, You Would Think That... – EU Issues in Austrian General Election Campaigns	View Paper Details
National Governments’ Responsibility Within a Multi-Level System of Governance: A Zero–Sum Game?	View Paper Details