Alternative regulations or complementary methods? Evolving options in European governance

Article abstract:

Long gone are the days when the only choice for pursuing a Community objective was law, and law was adopted according to one main procedure. In many areas EU policy is formulated and implemented through a mixture of methods both legal and non-legal, European and national, public and private. After a flashback to recall some the main reasons why all these new methods have emerged, this article outlines the main features of two areas in which 'self-regulation' and 'co-regulation' are significant: environmental agreements and the social dialogue. It then gives an overview of the very different ways in which the 'open method of co-ordination' is in fact being pursued. The final section then addresses some of the main issues which have been raised regarding the effectiveness and legitimacy of these new methods, and looks to the future.