| Author (Person) | Thomson, Ian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 8.9.01 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 08/09/2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Date: 8 September 2001 The White Paper on European Governance, launched by Romano Prodi (b. 1939), the President of the European Commission, on 25 July 2001 was drawn up in response to the perception that 'people are losing confidence in a poorly understood and complex system - The Union is often seen as remote and at the same time too intrusive'. The White Paper is a contribution to the re-examination of the European Union's working methods being undertaken in the light of Enlargement, the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) (IGC) due to be convened in 2004, and the political pressure for reform prompted by the enforced resignation of the Commission in 1999. The notion of 'governance' is defined as embracing 'rules, processes and behaviours that affect the way in which powers are exercised at European level, particularly as regards openness, participation, accountability, effectiveness and coherence': in other words, 'governance' is concerned more with the style than the substance of European Union decision-making. The analysis and recommendations in the White Paper are set out under four main headings, the first of which is 'Better involvement'. The Commission proposes to make more use of advice from regional and local bodies (with the assistance of Member States and the Committee of the Regions) and from the trade unions, non-governmental organisations, and professional associations which make up 'civil society'. In parallel with this aim is the need to step up efforts to keep the public informed about European Union activities with the help of the media, databases such as EUR-Lex, and the Commission's Europa website. The second heading is 'Better policies, regulation and delivery'. Here the first essential is more rigorous examination of any call for legislative action, and in particular the application of the principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality. The White Paper proposes that fuller, more discriminating use should be made of the wide range of legal instruments available to the Union and that the possibility of 'co-regulation' should be explored ('co-regulation combines binding legislation and regulatory action with actions taken by the actors most concerned'). The Commission intends to draw up guidelines on the use of expert advice. Monitoring compliance will to a greater extent be the responsibility of regulatory agencies, and compliance will be made easier by continuing efforts towards the Simplification of European Union law. The third heading, 'The EU's contribution to global governance', puts the White Paper's proposals into a broader international context. The Commission intends to examine more systematically the impact of European Union policies, current or proposed, on non-member countries and to review all aspects of the Union's external representation with a view to securing greater coherence. The final heading, 'Refocused policies and institutions', is concerned with what individual institutions can do to contribute to the achievement of the White Paper's objectives. In conformity with those objectives, the White Paper was drawn up as a document for discussion. The Commission will appraise and reflect upon the comments it receives and publish its findings by the end of 2002. As the White Paper says, 'the linear model of dispensing policies from above must be replaced by a virtuous circle, based on feedback, networks and involvement from policy creation to implementation at all levels - It is time to recognise that the Union has moved from a diplomatic to a democratic process'. Text by Timothy Bainbridge, September 2001 Further information within European Sources Online: European Sources Online: Topic Guide / In Focus: European Sources Online: European Voice
European Sources Online: Financial Times
FT.com
Further information can be seen in these external links: EU Institutions European Commission
European Commission
European Commission: DG Press and Communication: Press Room
European Commission: DG Press and Communication: Public Opinion
European Commission: Forward Studies Unit European Commission: Secretariat General: European Commission: Jean Monnet Group on Governance in the EU
European Parliament:
Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists
Economic and Social Committee
Committee of the Regions European Ombudsman
International organisations Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
United Nations UNESCO: Management of Social Transformation Programme (MOST) Regional organisations Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR) Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) NGOs Platform of European Social NGOs SOLIDAR Thinktanks Centre for European Reform European Policy Centre
Business and labour organisations European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) Mouvement des Enterprises de France (MEDEF) Miscellaneous Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) European Research Papers Archive
British Council Further and subsequent information on the subject of this In Focus can be found by an Advanced Search in European Sources Online by inserting 'European governance' in the keyword field. Ian Thomson The White Paper on European Governance, launched by Romano Prodi (b. 1939), the President of the European Commission, on 25 July 2001 was drawn up in response to the perception that 'people are losing confidence in a poorly understood and complex system. The White Paper is a contribution to the re-examination of the European Union's working methods being undertaken in the light of Enlargement, the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) (IGC) due to be convened in 2004, and the political pressure for reform prompted by the enforced resignation of the Commission in 1999. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
