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A Responsive Technocracy?

A Responsive Technocracy?

Christian Rauh

(2016)

Additional Information

Abstract

This book challenges the common image of the European Commission as an insulated technocracy immune to political pressures. Based on an innovative combination of public opinion, protest and media data, it first demonstrates that European integration has become increasingly politicised since the 1990s. Against this background, the Commission is now much more concerned about the public appeal of its policies. That, however, challenges and contradicts the well-worn patterns of supranational regulation in Europe. Rauh systematically compares 17 legislative drafting processes in consumer policy between 1999 and 2009. Based on first-hand insider accounts of involved officials, his analysis indicates that the Commission's policy choices indeed become more consumer friendly under higher levels of public awareness. While this improves the democratic quality of European decision-making, the book also reveals an enhanced conflict potential within the Commission and beyond which threatens to undermine the efficiency of legislative decision-making in the EU.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
A Responsive Technocracy? i
Table of Contents vii
Abbreviations ix
List of Figures and Tables xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Chapter One Introduction 1
Chapter Two The Public Politicisation of European Integration 7
Chapter Three Politicisation and Consumer Policy Formulation in the European Commission 27
Chapter Four Economic and Contractual Consumer Rights 59
Chapter Five Product Safety 127
Chapter Six Food Safety 173
Chapter Seven Conclusions: The Commission’s Agenda-Setting Activity in a Politicised Context 223
Appendix A: Additional Analyses of the Politicisation Index 243
Appendix B: Sampling Consumer Policy Initiatives 247
Appendix C: Operationalising Issue Salience 249
Appendix D: Interviews with Commission Officials 259
Appendix E: Assessing Consumer Interventionism in Commission Proposals 261
Bibliography 269
Index 301