Abstract
To facilitate stakeholder representation, European Union (EU) agencies use a range of procedures, including closed consultation or advisory committees and open or public consultations. For analysing what kind of stakeholders gain access to advisory committees, we compare these two particular procedures. Two theoretical perspectives guide this analysis. The first is a resource‐based account, which emphasizes informational needs and leads to the expectation that not only regulated interests but also EU‐level associations and European Commission expert group members will gain representation through closed consultations. The second is a norm‐based perspective that stresses the importance for agencies to establish a credible reputation, leading them to balance interest representation. A systematic comparison of stakeholders represented in agency committee with those participating in open consultations demonstrates that regulated interests have no systematic advantage in gaining access to closed consultations. Instead, closed consultations may diversify interest representation and facilitate the involvement of non‐business interests.
Highlights
In November 2015, advice given by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to the European Commission (EC) ignited public outcry
Before moving to the regression analysis, the distribution of the three main independent variables – group type, EC expert group membership, and level of mobilization – is contrasted with our dependent variable measuring whether a stakeholder was involved in an open consultation (0) or whether it enjoyed access to closed consultations (1)
Non-business interests make up 21% of the committee members, but only 6% of the mobilized actors during public consultations
Summary
In November 2015, advice given by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to the European Commission (EC) ignited public outcry. Evidence on the overall set of mobilized interests – for instance, during open consultations – is the first important piece of information agency officials may rely on when selecting committee members.
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