| Author (Person) | Carroll, Freda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 10.11.03 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 10/11/2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A democracy is a system of government by the whole population, usually through elected representatives. In addition to the right to vote, the democratic process requires dialogue between citizens and governments. It is often argued that the European Union suffers from a lack of democracy and seems inaccessible to the ordinary citizen, because its method of operating is so complex. The term democratic deficit has been applied both in the context of citizens, who feel remote from an unelected 'government' and of national parliaments, who see erosion of their former powers. It is also used to support arguments for increasing the powers of the European Parliament. The European Union has a unique institutional system that depends on three key institutions: the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Parliament. In addition, the independent Court of Justice oversees the application of EU law and, in EU matters, it takes precedence over the supreme courts of each country (such as the House of Lords in the UK). The institutional set-up is seen to be dominated by an institution combining legislative and government powers (the Council) and an institution that lacks democratic legitimacy (the Commission) - even though its Members are appointed by the Member States and are collectively accountable to the European Parliament. The dual problems of democratic legitimacy and democratic deficit have long been the subject of informed discussion in academic books and journals. Relevant ones are listed below under 'Printed sources'. The European Union consists of sovereign states and Europe is governed by national governments. The continuing power of nation states is a crucial element of the European Union. Power can only move from national governments to European institutions when those national governments agree that it should. For a variety of reasons (maintenance of peace, the common economic good, effective control of the environment, new global problems) national governments agreed to the pooling of authority at a higher administrative level than the nation state. At international level, however, there is no representation of the people - except through the European Parliament which is still seen to have limited power, influence and importance. A supranational system lacks many of the structural features which facilitate participation in national democracy. The more the international and supra-national level gains in importance for world-governance, the less power there is for national parliaments and the bigger the democratic deficit will be. The greatest danger in the process of integration is that democratic political cultures may be weakened at national level without being replaced at any other level. As European integration has progressed, the question of democratic legitimacy has become increasingly sensitive. The Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice Treaties developed the principle of democratic legitimacy within the institutional system by reinforcing the powers of Parliament with regard to the appointment and control of the Commission and successively extending the scope of the co-decision procedure, by which legislation is made by the Council and Parliament together. It is often said that the EU's decision-making system is too remote from ordinary people, who cannot understand its complexities and its difficult legal texts. The EU is trying to overcome this democratic deficit (which it calls the 'democratic challenge') through simpler legislation and better public information, and by giving citizens' organisations a greater say in European policymaking. In hoping to improve the quality of Euro-democracy through reforms in the way citizenship, representation and decision-making are practised within the institutions of the European Union, it has also promoted the idea of European citizenship and a European identity.
In February 2000 the European Commission, launched a major initiative for a debate on how the EU is run (European governance) as preparation for a White Paper on Governance and posed the following questions:
The full text of the resulting White Paper, Enhancing democracy: a White Paper on Governance in the European Union (2002) can be seen on the Governance website, together with links to all the related discussion. The main recommendations are based on twelve reports, two studies and consultation of European, national and regional experts as well as academics and citizens. Today, political leaders throughout Europe are facing a real paradox. On the one hand, Europeans want them to find solutions to the major problems confronting our societies. On the other hand, people increasingly distrust institutions and politics or are simply not interested in them. The problem is acknowledged by national parliaments and governments alike. It is particularly acute at the level of the European Union. Many people are losing confidence in a poorly understood and complex system to deliver the policies that they want. The Union is often seen as remote and at the same time too intrusive. White Paper on European Governance, September 2001, 2002. Following the Nice European Council (7-10 December 2000), a broad public debate on the future of the Union was started, in which citizens can take part. In a Declaration on the Future of Europe issued by the Laeken European Council, December 2001, EU leaders stated that the European Union is a 'success story', with Europe having enjoyed over 50 years of peace. The imminent enlargement of the Union by the addition of 10 or more new Member States, means that the Union 'stands at a crossroads, a defining moment in its existence.' Enlargement, however, calls 'for a different approach from fifty years ago, when six countries first took the lead.' The Declaration acknowledges the 'democratic challenge' facing Europe and the need to bring the Union's institutions closer to its citizens. 'Citizens undoubtedly support the Union's broad aims, but they do not always see a connection between those goals and the Union's everyday action.' Some of the necessary reforms are:
It called for the convening, in March 2002, of a European Convention to address these problems and to draw up a Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in preparation for an Intergovernmental Conference to be held during the Italian Presidency in the second half of 2003. The aim is to have the final text ready for the European elections in June 2004.
Further information within European Sources Online:
Information from news services
Further information can be seen in these external links: Printed sources Journal articles 1. Internet connections to the homepages of journal publishers are given. If your library has a subscription to the journal you may be able to gain electronic access to the text of the article listed. Crombez, Christophe Eriksen, Erik Oddvar Eriksen, Erik Oddvar; Fossum, John Erik Joerges, Christian Mény, Yves Moravcsik, Andrew Nowina-Konopka, Piotr Raithatha, Rupen Rittberger, Berthold Sariyiannidou, Eve Schneider, Gerald; Verdier, Daniel Sudbery, Imogen Zweifel, Thomas D Books Caporaso, James A. Chryssochoou, Dimitris N. Deckmyn, Veerle (ed.) Dobson, Lynn; Weale, Albert Eriksen, Erik Oddvar (ed.); Fossum, John Erik (ed.) van Ham, Peter Loughlin, John Mather, Janet Maurer, Andreas Neunreither, Karlheinz (ed.); Wiener, Antje (ed.) Newman, Michael Schmitter, Philippe C. Smith, Julie Verhoeven, Amaryllis Warleigh, Alex Further and subsequent information on the subject of this week's In Focus can be found by a search in European Sources Online by inserting 'Democratic deficit' in the keyword field. Freda Carroll Background and reporting on the week's main stories in the European Union and the wider Europe. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
