During the evaluation of EU policies, and the formulation of possible alternatives, the Commission organizes consultations. These public consultations are a distinctive channel in EU policy process, through which stakeholder organizations and interest groups can attempt to exercise influence on the formulation of these new policy proposals. Previous research in this direction has indicated that participating actors coordinate their position in their consultation responses on basis of formal organizational coalitions. This implies that discursive networks would show great similarity to inter organizational networks. On the other hand, actors’ personal experiences play an important role in the responses to these consultations, and are thought to provide the Commission with policy relevant information based on practical expertise. This research aims to answer how the discourses used in public consultations are aligned with regard to inter organizational coalitions, and shared policy experiences. Moreover, the study will look at the position of the Commission toward these shared policy experiences, by comparing the initial policy proposal with the post-consultation proposal.
Especially within the field of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with its long policy history, policy experiences are expected to play an important role in how actors look at future developments. On the other hand, the CAP is known for the well organized and powerful farmer interest groups. In the consultation for the 2008 Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy a large number of organizations has responded to the specific questions asked by the Commission with regard to the future of the Single Payment Scheme, and Cross Compliance measures (n=75). In this consultation, CSOs, and actors from public and market sectors have participated.
Through a discourse network analysis, different ideas are linked to the actors who use them. The results will map the relations between actors and ideas toward the implementation of the elements of the CAP under scrutiny, and can be used to see whether these networks are based on inter organizational coalitions, or shared experiences. On the other hand, an inter organizational network can show in(formal) coalitions between actor participating in the consultation. Comparing these networks will show whether these networks show overlap.
As a final step, the position of the Commission will be placed in these networks in order to see whether the Commission is more favorable toward ideas based upon experiences, or upon powerful coalitions.
