Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-bt4hw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T22:16:57.188Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Networks in EU Multi-level Governance: Concepts and Contributions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2009

Tanja A. Börzel  and
Karen Heard-Lauréote
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

While there is broad scholarly agreement that policy-making in the European Union (EU) involves a multitude of public and private actors at different levels of government, there is less agreement whether the EU should be conceptualized as a form of governance by networks or governance in networks. This article first examines different concepts of networks. It then sets out multiple functions of networks within the EU policy process. Particular attention is paid to the extent to which networks may provide added value to European integration and improve the quality of governance by effectively solving common problems and helping to address the democratic deficit or whether, by acting as mechanisms of exclusion rather than inclusion, they actually contribute to the EU's legitimacy deficit. Since networks can enhance governance quality as well as undermine its democratic credentials, a balance sheet shows both positive and negative consequences.

Keywords

Policy networksgovernanceEuropean Union/Commissionefficiencylegitimacy

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Public Policy , Volume 29 , Special Issue 2: Networks in European Union Governance , August 2009 , pp. 135 - 151
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ansell, C. (2000) The Networked Polity. Regional Development in Western Europe, Governance, 13, 3, 303–333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkinson, M. M. and Coleman, W. D. (1992) Policy Networks, Policy Communities and the Problems of Governance, Governance, 5, 2, 154–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bache, I. and Flinders, M. (eds.) (2004) Multi-level governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benz, A. (1995) Politiknetzwerke in der horizontalen Politikverflechtung. In Jansen, D. and Schubert, K. (eds.), Netzwerke und Politikproduktion. Konzepte, Methoden, Perspektiven. Marburg: Schüren, 185–204.Google Scholar
Börzel, T. A. (1997) What's So Special About Policy Networks? An Exploration of the Concept and Its Usefulness in Studying European Governance, European Integration online Papers (EIoP), 1, 16.Google Scholar
Börzel, T. A. (1998) Organising Babylon. On the Different Conceptions of Policy Networks, Public Administration, 76, 2, 253–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Börzel, T. A. (forthcoming) EU Governance. Negotiation and Competition in the Shadow of Hierarchy, Journal of Common Market Studies.Google Scholar
Börzel, T. A. and Panke, D. (2006) Network Governance: Effective and Legitimate? In Sørensen, E. and Torfing, J. (eds.), Theories of Democratic Network Governance. London: Routledge, 153–166.Google Scholar
Caparaso, J. A. (1996) The European Union and forms of state: Westphalian, regulatory or post-modern? Journal of Common Market Studies, 34, 1, 29–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christiansen, T. and Piattoni, S. (eds.) (2003) Informal Governance in the European Union. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.Google Scholar
Cutler, C. A. (2003) Private Power and Global Authority. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cutler, C. A., Haufler, V. and Porter, T. (eds.) (1999) Private Authority and International Affairs. Albany: State University of New York.Google Scholar
Easton, D. (1957) An Approach to the Analysis of Political Systems, World Politics, 9, 3, 383–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Easton, D. (1965) A Framework for Political Analysis. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Eising, R. and Kohler-Koch, B. (1999a) Governance in the European Union. A Comparative Assessment. In Kohler-Koch, B. and Eising, R. (eds.), The Transformation of Governance in the European Union. London: Routledge, 267–285.Google Scholar
Eising, R. and Kohler-Koch, B. (1999b) Introduction. Network Governance in the European Union. In Kohler-Koch, B. and Eising, R. (eds.), The Transformation of Governance in the European Union. London: Routledge, 3–13.Google Scholar
Etzioni-Halevy, E. (1993) The Elite Connection: Problems and Potentials of Western Democracy. Cambridge/MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Fligstein, N. and McNichol, J. (1998) The Institutional Terrain of the European Union. In Sandholtz, W. and Sweet, A. Stone (eds.), European Integration and Supranational Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 59–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fung, A. and Wright, E. O. (2003) Deepening Democracy: Institutional Innovations in Empowered Participatory Governance. London: Verso.Google Scholar
Grimm, D. (1995) Does Europe Need a Constitution?, European Law Journal, 1, 3, 282–302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, R. B. and Bierstecker, T.J. (eds.) (2002) The Emergence of Private Authority in Global Governance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hanf, K. and O'Toole, L. J. J. (1992) Revisiting Old Friends: Networks, Implementation Structures and the Management of Inter-organizational Relations. In Jordan, G. and Schubert, K. (eds.), European Journal of Political Research, 163–180.Google Scholar
Hanny, B. and Wessels, W. (1998) The Monetary Committee of the European Communities: A Significant Though not Typical Case. In van Schendelen, M. C. P. M. (ed.), EU Committees as Influential Policymakers. Aldershot: Ashgate, 109–126.Google Scholar
Heard-Lauréote, K. (forthcoming). European Union Governance: The Legitimacy and Effectiveness of European Commission Advisory Forums. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Héritier, A. (1999) Elements of Democratic Legitimation in Europe. An Alternative Perspective, Journal of European Public Policy, 6, 2, 269–282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Héritier, A. (2003) New Modes of Governance in Europe: Increasing Political Capacity and Policy Effectiveness? In Börzel, T.A. and Cichowski, R. (eds.), The State of the European Union, 6 – Law, Politics, and Society. Oxford: OUP, 105–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hooghe, L. and Marks, G. (2003) Unravelling the Central-State, but How? Types of Multi-Level Governance, American Political Science Review, 97, 2, 233–243.Google Scholar
Joerges, C., Mény, Y. and Weiler, J. H. H. (2001) Symposium: Responses to the European Commission's White Paper on Governance. Florence: European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies.Google Scholar
Joerges, C. and Neyer, J. (1997) From Intergovernmental Bargaining to Deliberative Political Processes: The Constitutionalisation of Comitology, European Law Journal, 3, 3, 273–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordan, G. and Richardson, J. J. (1983) Policy Communities: the British and European Style, Policy Studies Journal, 11, 4, 603–615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordan, G. and Schubert, K. (1992) A Preliminary Ordering of Policy Network Labels, European Journal of Political Research, 21, 1-2, 7–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaiser, W., Gehler, M. and Leucht, B. (2009) Networks in Informal European Governance. Diachronic Perspectives on the European Union as a Multi-Level Polity. In Gehler, M., Kaiser, W. and Leucht, B. (eds.), Netzwerke im europäischen Mehrebenensystem. Von 1945 bis zur Gegenwart. Vienna – Cologne – Weimar: Böhlau, 9–26.Google Scholar
Kaiser, W., Leucht, B. and Rasmussen, M. (eds.) (2009) The History of the European Union. Origins of a Trans- and Supranational Polity 1950–72. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Kenis, P. and Schneider, V. (1991) Policy Networks and Policy Analysis: Scrutinizing a New Analytical Toolbox. In Marin, B. and Mayntz, R. (eds.), Policy Networks: Empirical Evidence and Theoretical Considerations. Frankfurt a.M.: Campus, 25–59.Google Scholar
Keohane, R. O. and Hoffmann, S. (eds.) (1991) The New European Community: Decisionmaking and Institutional Change. Boulder: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Klijn, E.-H. and Koppenjan, J. F. M. (2000) Interactive Decision Making and Representative Democracy. Institutional Collisions and Solutions. In van Heffen, O., Kickert, W. and Thomassen, J. (eds.), Governance in Modern Society: Effects, Change and Formation of Government Institutions. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 109–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohler-Koch, B. (1996) Catching up with Change: The Transformation of Governance in the European Union, Journal of European Public Policy, 3, 3, 359–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohler-Koch, B. (1999) The Evolution and Transformation of European Governance. In idem. and Eising, R. (eds.), The Transformation of Governance in the European Union. London: Routledge, 14–35.Google Scholar
Kohler-Koch, B. (2000) Framing the Bottleneck of Constructing Legitimate Institutions, Journal of European Public Policy, 7, 4, 513–531.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohler-Koch, B. and Eising, R. (eds.) (1999) The Transformation of Governance in Europe. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Kohler-Koch, B. and Rittberger, B. (2006) The ‘Governance Turn’ in EU Studies, Journal of Common Market Studies, 44, 1, 27–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kooiman, J. (ed.) (1993) Modern Governance. New Government-Society Interactions. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Kooiman, J. (2000) Societal Governance Levels, Models and Orders of Social Political Interactions. In Pierre, J. (ed.), Debating Governance. Authority, Steering and Democracy. Oxford: OUP, 138–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Galès, P. (1995) Introduction: Les réseaux d'action publique entre outil passe-partout et théorie de moyenne portée. In Le Galès, P. and Thatcher, M. (eds.), Les réseaux de politique publique. Débat autour des policy networks. Paris: l'Harmattan, 13–27.Google Scholar
March, J. G. and Olsen, J. P. (1995) Democratic Governance. New York: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Mayntz, R. (1993) Modernization and the Logic of Interogranizational Networks. In Child, J., Crozier, M. and Mayntz, R. (eds.), Societal Change Between Market and Organization. Aldershot: Avebury, 3–18.Google Scholar
Mayntz, R. (1998) New Challenges to Governance Theory. In Jean Monnet Chair Paper Series No. 50. Florence: Robert Schuman Centre at the European University Institute.Google Scholar
Mazey, S. and Richardson, J. J. (eds.) (1993) Lobbying in the European Union. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
Neyer, J. (2004) Explaining the unexpected: efficiency and effectiveness in European decision-making, Journal of European Public Policy, 11, 1, 19–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Toole, L. J. (1997) Treating Networks Seriously: Practical and Research-Based Agendas in Public Administration, Public Administration Review, 57, 1, 45–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Obradovic, D. and Alonso Vizcaino, J. M. (2007) Good Governance Requirements Concerning the Participation of Interest Groups in EU Consultations. In Obradovic, D. and Pleines, H. (eds.), The Capacity of Central and Eastern European Interest Groups to Participate in EU Governance. Stuttgart: Ibidem Publishers, 67–108.Google Scholar
Olsen, J. P. (forthcoming) ‘European Governance: Where do we go from here?’ In Kohler-Koch, B. and Larat, F. (eds.), European Multi-level Governance: Contrasting Images in National Research. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar,Google Scholar
Ostrom, E. (1990) Governing the Commons. The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge: CUP.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Papadopoulos, Y. (2003) Cooperative Forms of Governance: Problems of Democratic Accountability in Complex Environments, European Journal of Political Research, 42, 4, 473–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Papadopoulos, Y. (2006) Conceptualising accountability in network and multi-level governance, Working Paper Series of the IPSA Committee on Concepts and Methods (July 2006, no. 10), http://www.concepts-methods.org/papers_list.php?id_categoria=1&titulo=Political%20Concepts.Google Scholar
Pappi, F. U. (1993) Policy-Netzwerke: Erscheinungsform moderner Politiksteuerung oder methodischer Ansatz? In Héritier, A. (ed.), Policy-Analyse. Kritik und Neuorientierung. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 84–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parsons, T. (1960) Structure and Process in Modern Societies. Glencoe/ILL: Free Press.Google Scholar
Parsons, T. (1951) The Social System. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Peters, B. G. (2007) Forms of Informal Governance: Searching for Efficiency and Democracy. In Christiansen, T. and Larsson, T. (eds.), The Role of Committees in the Policy Process of the European Union – Legislation, Implementation and Deliberation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.Google Scholar
Peterson, J. (2004) Policy Networks. In Wiener, A. and Diez, T. (eds.), European Integration Theory. Oxford: OUP, 117–135.Google Scholar
Peterson, J. and Bomberg, E. (1999) Decision Making in the European Union. Basingstoke: Palgrave.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puchala, D. J. (1972) Of Blind Men, Elephants and International Integration, Journal of Common Market Studies, 10, 3, 267–284.Google Scholar
Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997) Understanding Governance. Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability. Buckingham – Philadelphia: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Rhodes, R. A. W. and Marsh, D. (1992) New Directions in the Study of Policy Networks, European Journal of Political Research, 21, 1–2, 181–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Risse-Kappen, T. (1996) Exploring the Nature of the Beast: International Relations Theory and Comparative Policy Analysis Meet the European Union, Journal of Common Market Studies, 34, 1, 53–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruggie, J. G. (1993) Territoriality and Beyond: Problematizing Modernity in International Relations, International Organization, 47, 1, 139–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scharpf, F. W. (1993) Versuch über die Demokratie im verhandelnden Staat. In Czada, R. and Schmidt, M. G. (eds.), Verhandlungsdemokratie, Interessenvermittlung, Regierbarkeit. Festschrift für Gerhard Lehmbruch. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 25–50.Google Scholar
Scharpf, F. W. (1997) Games real Actors Play. Actor-Centered Institutionalism in Policy Research. Boulder: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Scharpf, F. W. (1999) Governing Europe. Effective and Legitimate? Oxford: OUP.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitter, P. C. (1991) The European Community as an Emergent and Novel Form of Political Domination. Working Paper No. 26. Madrid: Juan March Institute.Google Scholar
Schneider, V. (1988) Politiknetzwerke der Chemikalienkontrolle. Eine Analyse einer transnationalen Politikentwicklung. Berlin: de Gruyter.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneider, V. (2000) Organisationsstaat und Verhandlungsdemokratie. In Werle, R. and Schimank, U. (eds.), Gesellschaftliche Komplexität und kollektive Handlungsfähigkeit. Frankfurt: Campus, 243–269.Google Scholar
Schout, A. and Jordan, A. (2005) Coordinated European Governance. Self-Organizing or Centrally Steered?, Public Administration, 83, 1, 201–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sciarini, P. (1996) Elaboration of the Swiss Agricultural Policy for the GATT Negotiations: A Network Analysis, Schweizer Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 22, 1, 85–115.Google Scholar
Skogstad, G. (2003) Legitimacy and/or Policy Effectiveness? New Governance and GMO Regulation in the European Union, Journal of European Public Policy, 10, 3, 321–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sørensen, E. (2002) Democratic Theory and Network Governance, Administrative Theory & Praxis, 24, 4, 693–720.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sørensen, E. and Torfing, J. (2003) Network Governance, Political Capital and Democracy, International Journal of Public Administration, 26, 6, 609–634.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sørensen, E. and Torfing, J. (2004) Making Governance Networks Democratic, Center for Democratic Network Governance, University of Roskilde, Working Paper 1, http://www.ruc.dk/upload/application/pdf/7c331b9c/Working_Paper_2004_1.pdfGoogle Scholar
Sørensen, E. and Torfing, J. (2005) The Domestic Anchorage of Governance Networks, Scandinavian Studies, 28, 3, 195–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, G. F. and Pforr, C. (2005) Policy Networks and Good Governance – A Discussion, Working Paper Series 2005: no. 1, Curtin University of Technology, School of Management.Google Scholar
Tömmel, I. and Verdun, A. (eds.) (2008) Innovative Governance in the European Union: The. Politics of Multilevel Policymaking. Boulder/CO: Lynne Rienner.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsebelis, George (2002) Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verdun, A. (2000) Governing by Committee – The Case of Monetary Policy. In Christiansen, T. and Kirchner, E. (eds.), Committee Governance in the European Union. Manchester: MUP, 132–144.Google Scholar
Wallace, W. (1983) Less than a Federation, More than a Regime: The Community as a Political System. In Wallace, H., Wallace, W. and Webb, C. (eds.), Policy-Making in the European Community. Chichester: John Wiley, 43–80.Google Scholar