Andy Smith

Politics and the European Commission

Actors, Interdependence, Legitimacy
Herausgeber: Smith, Andy

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

The European Commission, with its reputation as a 'bureaucrat's paradise', has come to both fascinate and repulse a wide range of politicians, journalists and social scientists. This book investigates the Commission's relationship to politics, arguing that, in contrast to prevailing opinion, the process of European integration constantly requires political choices and powering from its civil servants. The authors collected here develop a variety of case studies - focusing on issues such as health, development aid, preparations for Eastern enlargement, the resignation of the Santer commission and the Euro - in order to study the relationships, networks and interdependencies which link commissioners and Commission officials to national politicians, civil servants and interest groups. The book also looks in detail at how the Commission publicizes its work, notably through producing public information and liaising with the media, throwing fresh light upon the complex question of the organization's legitimacy. "Politics and the European Commission provides a framework for generating new information about, and interpretations of, the power struggles at the heart of the European Union. It will interest all students and researchers of politics and the EU.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd (Sales)
• Seitenzahl: 246
• Erscheinungstermin: 24. Juni 2004
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 243mm x 155mm x 19mm
• Gewicht: 513g
• ISBN-13: 9780415324076
• ISBN-10: 0415324076
• Artikelnr.: 20999733

Autorenporträt

Andy Smith is Senior Research Fellow in Political Science at the CERVL, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Bordeaux. He has been working on three themes related to European integration: public policy-making; the college of the European Commission; and the effect of Europe on the daily life of the general public.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction Andy Smith Part 1: Actors, Institutions and Interdependence 1.
Doing politics and Pretending Not To:The Commission's role in distributing
aid to Eastern Europe Cécile Robert 2. The Politics of Collegiality: The
non-portfolio dimension Jean Joana and Andy Smith 3. The Secretary General
of the European Commision, 1958-2003: The history of a singular institution
Hussein Kassim 4. The Political Dynamics of the 'Parallel Administration'
of the European Commision Jarle Trondal 5. The Invention of a Directorate
General for Development (1958-75) Véronique Dimier 6. Institutionalizing
Public Health in the European Commision: The thrills and spills of
politicization Sébastien Guigner Part 2: The Media, the Commision and its
Legitimacy 7. Was it Really just 'Poor Communication'?: Lessons from Santa
Commision's resignation Didier Georgakakis 8. The Politics of the Commision
as an Information Source Olivier Baisnée 9. Advertising Europe: The
production of public information by the Commision François Forêt 10.
Publicising the Euro: A case of interest maximisation and internal
fragmentation of the Commision Jeannette Mak 11. Where is he now? The
Delors Legacy Helen Drake Conclusion Andy Smith