Green Political Theory and the European Union: The Case for a Non-integrated Civil Society

Abstract

Contrary to established ideas about the European Union's (EU) democratic deficit, a conception of European civil society based on contestation and communication within and across multiple public spheres is good for green politics and ecological democracy in the EU. This article shows that the European Commission's own proposals for restructuring its relationship to civil society organizations follows a trajectory from “passive inclusion” to “active inclusion” of civil society groups. This historical sequence, I argue, is associated with weakening civil society's capacity to serve as a reservoir of democratic innovation in the EU's system of multilevel governance. I aim to show that efforts to green and democratize the EU are better served by a non-integrated European civil society.