The Santer era: the European Commission in normative, historical and theoretical perspective

Abstract

This article assesses the evolution of the European Commission's role, power and effectiveness in the post-Delors era. It develops four main arguments. First, the performance of the Commission should be judged by its ability to further the European Union's (EU's) basic objectives, defend the 'Community interest', offer leadership, and operate efficiently. Second, the early Delors Commissions were far more an exception in their strength than is Santer's in its weakness. Third, Santer promises to leave a legacy of a better managed Commission, but one that is also more fragmented and riven by sectoral and national rivalries. Fourth, theories of EU governance must be able to capture the 'actor-based' nature of EU policy-making, the lack of any dichotomy between the interests of 'national governments' and 'EU institutions', and the determinant effect of the political and economic environment in which the EU operates.