EU Decision-making Process Research Articles

Inequality among EU citizens in the EU's Council decision procedure

This paper provides a normative assessment of the inequality among EU citizens imputable to the decision-making rule used by the European Council of Ministers. To this end, the EU decision-making process is modeled by a compound two-stage game among the EU citizens, whose respective voting power is evaluated by their Banzhaf index in the years 1958–1999. Two inequality indices measure the resulting inequality in the distribution of power among citizens. This permits us to evaluate the actual qualified majority rule and to compare this rule with an alternative rule, the so-called double majority rule.

The EU's Decision-Making Process in the Common Foreign and Security Policy: The Case of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

The EU's Decision-Making Process in the Common Foreign and Security Policy: The Case of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

A virtual capital for the European Union

This article explores the websites of the key institutions of the European Union to consider whether these applications of the new information and communication technologies may become a functional equivalent of the national capital city in the emerging supranational political arena. Three functions of capital cities are evaluated: that of command centre, showcase and cultural arena. The websites under consideration do provide a representation of the EU command centre, and they also offer detailed information useful for those monitoring and partaking in the EU decision-making process. They are underused as supranational showcase, with the noticeable exception of their institutionalisation of multilingualism. And they do offer a rudimentary EU-wide public space. The findings suggest that there is a real potential that could be exploited by the EU institutions to foster the expression of the supranational community.

Bargaining over Power and Policy: The CAP Reform and Agricultural Negotiations in the Uruguay Round

AbstractThe CAP reform had been on the EC agenda for several years, however the Community appeared powerless in dealing with the situation, especially when the Uruguay Round of negotiations created an additional level of complexity. Conceptual tools can help unravel this complexity. Policy networks capture the interplay between various actors and institutions. Each has strategies and strives for its own interests. The Commission and the Council of agricultural ministers were important actors in this on-going process of negotiation which characterizes the EU decision-making process. Coalitions are also a key element in explaining the process and outcomes of the CAP reform and the agricultural negotiations in the Uruguay Round.