What is Europe up to?

What is Europe up to? In what areas is it taking action? Is it meeting the expectations of its citizens? These are all legitimate questions in the run-up to the European elections, questions that, all too often, prompt ideological responses.

Who's in charge of "Europe"? Such is the power-sharing within the Union, what with the Members of the European Parliament, the Barroso commission, the country holding the EU Presidency, the ministers of the member States, it is hard to ascertain the responsibility of a specific actor or institution.

Comparisons with the United States or with France confirm that Europe remains "different" from a State. The comparison between what Europe is actually doing and what Europeans expect it to do, does expose a troubling discrepancy.

Based on a strict assessment of the activities of the European Union, this work helps to better understand the policies of European institutions, their issues and priorities, and the way in which they take on board the concerns of its citizens.

List of contributors: Sylvain Brouard, Giuseppe Ciavarini Azzi, Olivier Costa, Renaud Dehousse, Florence Deloche-Gaudez, Ana Mar Fernández, Emiliano Grossman, Sophie Jacquot, Nicolas Monceau.

Without equivalent on a national or an international level, the "Evaluating Europe" series draws on innovative and previously unpublished data produced by the Observatory of European Institutions (OIE), set up by the Centre for European Studies at Sciences Po with the aim of giving fully-informed access to the European debate for all.


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Specifications


Publisher
Presses de Sciences Po
Author
Renaud Dehousse, Florence Deloche-Gaudez, Sophie Jacquot,
Language
French
Publisher Category
> Europe > European Institutions
Publisher Category
> Europe > European Politics
Publisher Category
> Europe
Publisher Category
> International field
Publisher Category
> Politics
BISAC Subject Heading
POL000000 POLITICAL SCIENCE
Onix Audience Codes
06 Professional and scholarly
Title First Published
28 May 2009
Subject Scheme Identifier Code
Thema subject category: Politics and government
Original Language
English

ePub


Publication Date
28 May 2009
ISBN-13
978-2-7246-8863-4
Product Content
Text (eye-readable)
Extent
Front matter page count (Roman) : 119
Code
9782724688634
Technical Protection ebook
Adobe DRM
ONIX XML
Version 2.1, Version 3

Google Book Preview


Contents


Introduction

Chapter 1 / WHAT ARE THE EUROPEAN UNION'S PRIORITIES?
Emiliano Grossman and Sylvain Brouard

European legislation : structural and procedural characteristics
The EU: an atypical actor
Conclusion

Chapter 2 / ARE EU POLICIES MEETING EUROPEANS' EXPECTATIONS?
Renaud Dehousse and Nicolas Monceau

Evaluating "European demands"
Europeans' primary expectations
Significant variations according to country and political orientations
The supply of European policies
Conclusion

Chapter 3 / WHAT DOES THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION DO?
Giuseppe Ciavarini Azzi

Is the Commission taking the sort of initiatives which the Union needs?
Is the Commission defending its initiatives effectively?
Executive and oversight activities
Conclusion

Chapter 4 / WHAT POWERS DOES THE EU PRESIDENCY HAVE?
Ana Mar Fernández

The initial model
The gradual supranationalization of the Presidential function
Is the Presidency’s autonomy being eroded?
France at the command and service of the EU
Conclusion: The Presidency of the European Union—Striking the right balance

Chapter 5 / WHY IS THE EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MORE ACTIVE IN SOME POLICY DOMAINS?
Florence Deloche-Gaudez

An activity concentrated in a few policy domains
Competences are not the only contributing factor
Are decisions easier to make by unanimity?
Are relations between the Council and the European Parliament becoming more conflictual?
Differentiated voting habits
Conclusion

Chapter 6 / HOW TO EVALUATE THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND ITS MEMBERS?
Olivier Costa

Challenges and pitfalls of MEP activity
Assessing the European Parliament’s influence: a difficult task
Conclusion