POLI 113A: East Asian Thought in Comparative Perspective
GENUINE EXPERTS
W4b-InterestArticulationintheEuropeanUnion.pptxInterest Articulation and Representation in the European Union
Reading:
Hix CH 7
1
Guiding Questions
What is interest articulation?
What role do interest groups play in the articulation process in the EU?
Which interests are commonly represented within EU decision making?
What is “social dialogue”?
How does the development of “civil society” compare with the presence of electoral politics in the EU?
2
Interest Articulation
Process of making demands heard within a political system
Lobbying, petitioning, working with political parties/interest groups, etc.
Hix and Høyland 2011
Competitive politics is absent in the EU…
But a vibrant (and competitive) civil society is ‘alive and well’
Interest groups organize and compete to influence EU policy
3
Patterns at the European Level
Hix and Høylund 2011
SEA and Maastricht made recourse to EU appropriate
Globalization: Larger EU role on many issues
Time saving: Easier to lobby Commission than various capitals
Interest groups continue to proliferate
Multiple “veto points” create opportunities
Commission must “consult widely” before proposing legislation
Transparency initiatives introduced (ETI)
Required for access to the European Commission
Also required to obtain funding from the EU
4
Patterns at the European Level
Hix and Høylund 2011
ETI registry provides some idea of which interests are represented
Business groups are the largest contingent
Labor, social and territorial groups are also represented
15,000-20,000 individuals are employed in interest organizations anchored in Brussels
5
Business Organizations
Hix and Høylund 2011
Long history at the European level
1970s-1980s
Typically promotes “four freedoms”
Goods, capital, services, people
Umbrella organizations: Business Europe and European Round Table of Industrialists
Organizations also exist for sector/national specific interests
Most resources focused on lobbying the Commission
6
Labor Organizations
Hix and Høylund 2011
Slower to organize than business interests
1990s
Reinvigorated by Maastricht via “social partnerships”
Even standing with business on key issues
Umbrella organization: European Trade Union Confederation
No transnational labor movement exists
7
European “Social Dialogue”
Hix and Høylund 2011
Informal relationship between EU, business and labor organizations
Corporatist logic
Commission requires consultation with BOTH labor and business organizations before making certain decisions
Can also:
Delegate decisions to these groups
Require organizations to reach agreement on implementation issues
Creates opportunities for cooperation between major interests
Can block reforms favored by left leaning interest groups and politicians
8
Social Interests
Hix and Høylund 2011
Labor comparatively weaker than business
Other interests also represented (environmental, consumer protections, human rights, etc.)
Business organizations do not get a “free ride”
Example: Commitment to sustainable development
Informal “civil dialogues” created by Commission on issue by issue basis
Access to EU funding raises some doubts about independence of these organizations
9
Territorial Interests
Hix and Høylund 2011
Sub-national governmental organization increased during 1980s
Access to structural and cohesion funds
Maastricht formalized this relationship through the creation of the Committee of the Regions (CoR)
Access to expertise and implementation
Must be consulted on changes to structural/cohesion policy or on regional policy
Some regional authorities also require national government to consult prior to negotiations (e.g., Belgium and Germany)
10
Conclusions
“Civil society” is alive and well…
Commission and EP offer access in exchange for information and expertise
Interest organizations obtain access in an effort to obtain influence
Some groups more likely to get their way than others
Business groups better organized
But funding opportunities and multiple EU veto points allow other interests to “trump” business at times
Hix and Høylund 2011
At the national level, interest group representation “exists side by side” with mass democratic politics
Not the case at EU level
Problem for legitimacy?
11
Next Unit
Challenges in EU Politics: Is There a “Democratic Deficit”?
Schmidt CH 4
Moravcsik (In Defense of the Democratic Deficit)
Hix (What’s Wrong with the European Union?)
Leonard pgs. 87-98
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