Author (Person) | Field, Mark |
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Series Title | European Integration Online Papers (EIOP) |
Series Details | Vol.17 (2013), No.7 |
Publication Date | 2013 |
Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
At 38,000, the total number of staff at the European Commission is relatively small for a body representing half a billion citizens. Likewise, the 3,500 strong research and statistical team is modest in size given that it operates across the Directorates General and other services. In order to assist policy-makers, the Commission supplements this research base by using outside expertise to advise at all stages of the policy-making process. For many years, those who observe the European Union’s institutions have recognised that this use of outside expertise to assist with the shaping of policy presents a potential democratic shortfall. The 2001 White Paper on Governance acknowledged that the line between expertise and political authority had become blurred and that, increasingly, the public questioned the independence of expert advice. The following year, the Commission published its first set of guidelines on the collection and use of expertise, listing ‘openness’ as one of three core principles. |
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Source Link | http://eiop.or.at/eiop/index.html |
Countries / Regions | Europe |
![](https://www.europeansources.info/wp-content/uploads/esologo2.png)