European Commission reform and the origins of the European Transparency Initiative (in Special Issue: Reforming the European Commission ed. Michael W. Bauer)

Abstract: This article explores the conditions under which 'continuing administrative reform' (Peters 2001) occurs. 'Continuing administrative reform' conceptualizes administrative reform as a process, rather than as an event, which accounts for why major administrative reform is often followed by further administrative reform at a time when one might otherwise expect 'reform fatigue' to set in. To explore this question, the article examines the case of the European Commission. An assessment of the European Transparency Initiative, which followed a period of comprehensive administrative reform in the European Commission between 2000 and 2004, points to the importance of the interplay of agency and opportunity in this case, thereby adding to our understanding of how and why 'continuing administrative reform' occurs.