“What Was That Word? It’s Part of Ensuring Its Future Existence” Exploring Engagement Collectives at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

Thomas Völker,Ângela Guimarães Pereira

doi:10.1177/01622439211046049

Thomas Völker, Ângela Guimarães Pereira

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/01622439211046049

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Abstract

This paper provides an empirical analysis of an initiative to establish a Community of Practice on citizen engagement at the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC). This initiative is one of the more recent attempts to institutionally stabilize citizen engagement in policy-making processes within the EC; such attempts are visible, for instance, in the political agenda of Ursula von der Leyen, whose sixth priority is a “new push for European democracy.” Drawing on science and technology studies literature, this paper directs attention to models of participation and democracy visible in particular engagement activities and to the overarching rationales for engagement. We explore the sociomaterial engagement collectives that emerge in the practices and accounts of actors involved in establishing this CoP and show how these engagement collectives at the supra-national research service JRC are co-constitutive with the wider institutional settings and cultural–political configurations of the EC.

Highlights

Calls for more and better involvement of citizens in the policy-making processes of the European Commission (EC) are “a la mode.” In his inaugural guidelines back in 2014, former EC President Jean-Claude Juncker called for a “deepening” of dialogue between society and European institutions, aiming to be “a President of social dialogue.” For the 2019-2024 legislature, President Ursula von der Leyen set as sixth political priority, a “new push for European democracy.”This renewed interest of the EC builds on previous debates about how to best involve citizens in policy-making processes
We explore the sociomaterial engagement collectives that emerge in the practices and accounts of actors involved in establishing this Community of Practice (CoP) and show how these engagement collectives at the supra-national research service Joint Research Centre (JRC) are co-constitutive with the wider institutional settings and cultural–political configurations of the EC
After outlining four engagement collectives, we look at the rationales and imagined purposes of engagement to address the wider spaces of participation with which the different engagement collectives and practices are co-produced

Summary

Introduction

For the 2019-2024 legislature, President Ursula von der Leyen set as sixth political priority, a “new push for European democracy.”. This renewed interest of the EC builds on previous debates about how to best involve citizens in policy-making processes. Article 14 of the Directive 2000/60/EC refers to a “concerned public” and “users” and Directive 2012/18/EC in Articles 14 and 15 talks about “the public concerned.” In this context, the EC has been setting up mechanisms of consultation with citizens to contribute to its legislation process, which mainly occurs through online tools such as Have your say and Consultation. Article 14 of the Directive 2000/60/EC refers to a “concerned public” and “users” and Directive 2012/18/EC in Articles 14 and 15 talks about “the public concerned.” In this context, the EC has been setting up mechanisms of consultation with citizens to contribute to its legislation process, which mainly occurs through online tools such as Have your say and Consultation.

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