The Commission’s Advisory Groups and Committees in the Field of Agricultural Policy

Abstract

The paper identifies the mechanisms through which Commission ‘expert’ committees in the European agricultural sector have adapted to the changed post‐Eastern enlargement environment. It examines the role of formal and informal adjustment mechanisms in changing practices and procedures within agricultural advisory groups. Although a range of formal adjustments are identified, these arguably represent more an attempt by the Commission to address long‐standing functioning issues and the extent to which they have actually altered internal processes is questionable. Additionally, although a range of informal adjustments might have been expected as a result of the largest enlargement round to date, these are in fact rare. In a later section, the paper considers the under‐development of organized civil society in the agricultural sector within the new member states and finds this in part due to various resource constraints, a focus on domestic priorities and a weaker domestic culture of consultation.