Decision-making in the Enlarged Council of Ministers: Evaluating the Facts
Many experts and practitioners expected the 2004 enlargement to affect both the efficiency and content of policy-making in the EU. In contrast to these expectations, most accounts of decision-making in the Council of Ministers following May 2004 have concluded that the effect has been only moderate. The EU’s most important legislative body is commonly found to function relatively smoothly following the enlargement big bang in 2004. Yet many aspects of the enlargement of the EU institutions have still not been adequately reported or evaluated. In order to give a more nuanced insight into the impact of enlargement, this policy brief presents and analyses data revealing some of the general changes that have occurred in the Council since May 2004. The analysis shows that this institution has indeed been challenged by the difficult task of getting 25 member states to come to agreement. One can then only wonder what the consequences are of an EU of 27. Furthermore, although the findings do not appear to reflect any immediate crisis in terms of the overall efficiency of the institution, the evidence is mixed with regard to how individual policy areas have been affected. Lastly, the data indicate that the internal work processes in the Council have been influenced by the expansion. Each of these observed changes may in the long run have important implications for the nature and content of policy-making in the EU, and pose further challenges to the transparency of the institution and accountability of the government representatives.
| Attachment | Size | Hits | Last download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1430.pdf | 114.32 KB | 2687 | 14 hours 34 min ago |
Many experts and practitioners expected the 2004 enlargement to affect both the efficiency and content of policy-making in the EU. In contrast to these expectations, most accounts of decision-making in the Council of Ministers following May 2004 have concluded that the effect has been only moderate. The EU’s most important legislative body is commonly found to function relatively smoothly following the enlargement big bang in 2004. Yet many aspects of the enlargement of the EU institutions have still not been adequately reported or evaluated. In order to give a more nuanced insight into the impact of enlargement, this policy brief presents and analyses data revealing some of the general changes that have occurred in the Council since May 2004. The analysis shows that this institution has indeed been challenged by the difficult task of getting 25 member states to come to agreement. One can then only wonder what the consequences are of an EU of 27. Furthermore, although the findings do not appear to reflect any immediate crisis in terms of the overall efficiency of the institution, the evidence is mixed with regard to how individual policy areas have been affected. Lastly, the data indicate that the internal work processes in the Council have been influenced by the expansion. Each of these observed changes may in the long run have important implications for the nature and content of policy-making in the EU, and pose further challenges to the transparency of the institution and accountability of the government representatives.
-en-1264
[list_price] => 0.00000 [cost] => 0.00000 [sell_price] => 12.00000 [weight] => 300 [weight_units] => g [length] => 0 [width] => 0 [height] => 0 [length_units] => cm [pkg_qty] => 0 [default_qty] => 1 [unique_hash] => a0293342adb253e17deaa627671ee002 [ordering] => 0 [shippable] => 1 [tags] => Array ( ) [path] => book/decision-making-enlarged-council-ministers-evaluating-facts [field_book_isbn] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => [safe] => ) ) [field_price] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 12 ) ) [field_book_series] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 90 [safe] => 90 ) ) [field_book_number] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 119 [safe] => 119 [view] => 119 ) ) [field_book_short_title] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => [safe] => [view] => ) ) [field_book_author_external] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => Sara Hagemann [safe] => Sara Hagemann ) ) [field_book_old_path] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 1430 [safe] => 1430 ) ) [field_book_downloads] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 2561 [safe] => 2561 ) ) [field_book_pages] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 8 [view] => 8 ) ) [field_book_price_pdf] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 0.00 ) ) [field_book_published] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 2007-01-28 00:00:00 [timezone] => Europe/Brussels [timezone_db] => Europe/Brussels [date_type] => datetime ) ) [field_book_publication_date] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 2007-01-28T00:00:00 [timezone] => Europe/Brussels [timezone_db] => Europe/Brussels [date_type] => date [view] => 28 January 2007 ) ) [field_book_author] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [nid] => 291 [view] => Julia De Clerck-Sachsse ) ) [field_image_cache] => Array ( [0] => ) [field_type] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => BOOK [format] => [safe] =>BOOK
[view] => Printed book ) [1] => Array ( [value] => [format] => [safe] => [view] => ) [2] => Array ( [value] => [format] => [safe] => [view] => ) ) [print_display] => 1 [print_display_comment] => 0 [print_display_urllist] => 1 [signup] => 0 [uc_order_product_id] => [0] => [taxonomy] => Array ( [taxonomy_term_22] => Array ( [title] => Politics and Institutions [href] => taxonomy/term/22 [attributes] => Array ( [rel] => tag [title] => ) ) [taxonomy_term_90] => Array ( [title] => CEPS Policy Briefs [href] => catalog/90 [attributes] => Array ( [rel] => tag [title] => Present concise, policy-oriented analysis of topical issues in European affairs, with the aim of interjecting the views of CEPS researchers and external collaborators into the policy-making process in a direct and timely fashion. ) ) ) [files] => Array ( [1213] => stdClass Object ( [fid] => 1213 [uid] => 1 [filename] => 1430.pdf [filepath] => files/book/1430.pdf [filemime] => application/pdf [filesize] => 117060 [status] => 1 [timestamp] => 2009-09-14 15:20:55 [nid] => 1264 [vid] => 1264 [description] => 1430.pdf [list] => 1 [weight] => 0 ) ) [flatrate] => Array ( ) [shipping_type] => small_package [shipping_address] => stdClass Object ( [first_name] => Radoslav [last_name] => Minkov [company] => CEPS [street1] => place du Congres 1 [street2] => [city] => Brussels [zone] => 94 [postal_code] => 1000 [country] => 56 [phone] => ) [usps] => [weightquote] => Array ( ) [build_mode] => 0 [readmore] => 1 [content] =>Many experts and practitioners expected the 2004 enlargement to affect both the efficiency and content of policy-making in the EU. In contrast to these expectations, most accounts of decision-making in the Council of Ministers following May 2004 have concluded that the effect has been only moderate. The EU’s most important legislative body is commonly found to function relatively smoothly following the enlargement big bang in 2004. Yet many aspects of the enlargement of the EU institutions have still not been adequately reported or evaluated. In order to give a more nuanced insight into the impact of enlargement, this policy brief presents and analyses data revealing some of the general changes that have occurred in the Council since May 2004. The analysis shows that this institution has indeed been challenged by the difficult task of getting 25 member states to come to agreement. One can then only wonder what the consequences are of an EU of 27. Furthermore, although the findings do not appear to reflect any immediate crisis in terms of the overall efficiency of the institution, the evidence is mixed with regard to how individual policy areas have been affected. Lastly, the data indicate that the internal work processes in the Council have been influenced by the expansion. Each of these observed changes may in the long run have important implications for the nature and content of policy-making in the EU, and pose further challenges to the transparency of the institution and accountability of the government representatives.
| Attachment | Size | Hits | Last download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1430.pdf | 114.32 KB | 2687 | 14 hours 34 min ago |
Many experts and practitioners expected the 2004 enlargement to affect both the efficiency and content of policy-making in the EU. In contrast to these expectations, most accounts of decision-making in the Council of Ministers following May 2004 have concluded that the effect has been only moderate. The EU’s most important legislative body is commonly found to function relatively smoothly following the enlargement big bang in 2004. Yet many aspects of the enlargement of the EU institutions have still not been adequately reported or evaluated. In order to give a more nuanced insight into the impact of enlargement, this policy brief presents and analyses data revealing some of the general changes that have occurred in the Council since May 2004. The analysis shows that this institution has indeed been challenged by the difficult task of getting 25 member states to come to agreement. One can then only wonder what the consequences are of an EU of 27. Furthermore, although the findings do not appear to reflect any immediate crisis in terms of the overall efficiency of the institution, the evidence is mixed with regard to how individual policy areas have been affected. Lastly, the data indicate that the internal work processes in the Council have been influenced by the expansion. Each of these observed changes may in the long run have important implications for the nature and content of policy-making in the EU, and pose further challenges to the transparency of the institution and accountability of the government representatives.
-en-1264
[list_price] => 0.00000 [cost] => 0.00000 [sell_price] => 12.00000 [weight] => 300 [weight_units] => g [length] => 0 [width] => 0 [height] => 0 [length_units] => cm [pkg_qty] => 0 [default_qty] => 1 [unique_hash] => a0293342adb253e17deaa627671ee002 [ordering] => 0 [shippable] => 1 [tags] => Array ( ) [path] => book/decision-making-enlarged-council-ministers-evaluating-facts [field_book_isbn] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => [safe] => ) ) [field_price] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 12 ) ) [field_book_series] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 90 [safe] => 90 ) ) [field_book_number] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 119 [safe] => 119 [view] => 119 ) ) [field_book_short_title] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => [safe] => [view] => ) ) [field_book_author_external] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => Sara Hagemann [safe] => Sara Hagemann ) ) [field_book_old_path] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 1430 [safe] => 1430 ) ) [field_book_downloads] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 2561 [safe] => 2561 ) ) [field_book_pages] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 8 [view] => 8 ) ) [field_book_price_pdf] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 0.00 ) ) [field_book_published] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 2007-01-28 00:00:00 [timezone] => Europe/Brussels [timezone_db] => Europe/Brussels [date_type] => datetime ) ) [field_book_publication_date] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => 2007-01-28T00:00:00 [timezone] => Europe/Brussels [timezone_db] => Europe/Brussels [date_type] => date [view] => 28 January 2007 ) ) [field_book_author] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [nid] => 291 [view] => Julia De Clerck-Sachsse ) ) [field_image_cache] => Array ( [0] => ) [field_type] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [value] => BOOK [format] => [safe] =>BOOK
[view] => Printed book ) [1] => Array ( [value] => [format] => [safe] => [view] => ) [2] => Array ( [value] => [format] => [safe] => [view] => ) ) [print_display] => 1 [print_display_comment] => 0 [print_display_urllist] => 1 [signup] => 0 [uc_order_product_id] => [0] => [taxonomy] => Array ( [22] => stdClass Object ( [tid] => 22 [vid] => 3 [name] => Politics and Institutions [description] => [weight] => 8 ) [90] => stdClass Object ( [tid] => 90 [vid] => 4 [name] => CEPS Policy Briefs [description] => Present concise, policy-oriented analysis of topical issues in European affairs, with the aim of interjecting the views of CEPS researchers and external collaborators into the policy-making process in a direct and timely fashion. [weight] => 0 ) ) [files] => Array ( [1213] => stdClass Object ( [fid] => 1213 [uid] => 1 [filename] => 1430.pdf [filepath] => files/book/1430.pdf [filemime] => application/pdf [filesize] => 117060 [status] => 1 [timestamp] => 2009-09-14 15:20:55 [nid] => 1264 [vid] => 1264 [description] => 1430.pdf [list] => 1 [weight] => 0 ) ) [flatrate] => Array ( ) [shipping_type] => small_package [shipping_address] => stdClass Object ( [first_name] => Radoslav [last_name] => Minkov [company] => CEPS [street1] => place du Congres 1 [street2] => [city] => Brussels [zone] => 94 [postal_code] => 1000 [country] => 56 [phone] => ) [usps] => [weightquote] => Array ( ) [build_mode] => 0 [readmore] => 1 [content] => Array ( [print_links] => Array ( [#weight] => -101 [#value] => [#title] => [#description] => [#printed] => 1 ) [display_price] => Array ( [#weight] => -10 [#access] => 1 [#value] =>BOOK
[#delta] => 0 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#theme_used] => 1 [#printed] => 1 [#type] => [#value] => [#prefix] => [#suffix] => [#children] => Printed book ) [1] => Array ( [#formatter] => default [#node] => stdClass Object *RECURSION* [#type_name] => book [#field_name] => field_type [#weight] => 1 [#theme] => text_formatter_default [#item] => Array ( [value] => [format] => [safe] => [#delta] => 1 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#theme_used] => 1 [#printed] => 1 [#type] => [#value] => [#prefix] => [#suffix] => ) [2] => Array ( [#formatter] => default [#node] => stdClass Object *RECURSION* [#type_name] => book [#field_name] => field_type [#weight] => 2 [#theme] => text_formatter_default [#item] => Array ( [value] => [format] => [safe] => [#delta] => 2 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#theme_used] => 1 [#printed] => 1 [#type] => [#value] => [#prefix] => [#suffix] => ) [#title] => [#description] => [#children] => Printed book [#printed] => 1 ) [#single] => 1 [#attributes] => Array ( ) [#required] => [#parents] => Array ( ) [#tree] => [#context] => full [#page] => 1 [#field_name] => field_type [#title] => type [#access] => 1 [#label_display] => inline [#teaser] => [#node] => stdClass Object *RECURSION* [#type] => content_field [#children] => Printed book [#printed] => 1 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#children] =>| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| 1430.pdf | 114.32 KB |
Many experts and practitioners expected the 2004 enlargement to affect both the efficiency and content of policy-making in the EU. In contrast to these expectations, most accounts of decision-making in the Council of Ministers following May 2004 have concluded that the effect has been only moderate. The EU’s most important legislative body is commonly found to function relatively smoothly following the enlargement big bang in 2004. Yet many aspects of the enlargement of the EU institutions have still not been adequately reported or evaluated. In order to give a more nuanced insight into the impact of enlargement, this policy brief presents and analyses data revealing some of the general changes that have occurred in the Council since May 2004. The analysis shows that this institution has indeed been challenged by the difficult task of getting 25 member states to come to agreement. One can then only wonder what the consequences are of an EU of 27. Furthermore, although the findings do not appear to reflect any immediate crisis in terms of the overall efficiency of the institution, the evidence is mixed with regard to how individual policy areas have been affected. Lastly, the data indicate that the internal work processes in the Council have been influenced by the expansion. Each of these observed changes may in the long run have important implications for the nature and content of policy-making in the EU, and pose further challenges to the transparency of the institution and accountability of the government representatives.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| 1430.pdf | 114.32 KB |
Many experts and practitioners expected the 2004 enlargement to affect both the efficiency and content of policy-making in the EU. In contrast to these expectations, most accounts of decision-making in the Council of Ministers following May 2004 have concluded that the effect has been only moderate. The EU’s most important legislative body is commonly found to function relatively smoothly following the enlargement big bang in 2004. Yet many aspects of the enlargement of the EU institutions have still not been adequately reported or evaluated. In order to give a more nuanced insight into the impact of enlargement, this policy brief presents and analyses data revealing some of the general changes that have occurred in the Council since May 2004. The analysis shows that this institution has indeed been challenged by the difficult task of getting 25 member states to come to agreement. One can then only wonder what the consequences are of an EU of 27. Furthermore, although the findings do not appear to reflect any immediate crisis in terms of the overall efficiency of the institution, the evidence is mixed with regard to how individual policy areas have been affected. Lastly, the data indicate that the internal work processes in the Council have been influenced by the expansion. Each of these observed changes may in the long run have important implications for the nature and content of policy-making in the EU, and pose further challenges to the transparency of the institution and accountability of the government representatives.
Related Publications
- Think Global – Act European
- Capital Brussels: What kind of political actor will the Lisbon EU be?
- The European Citizens’ Initiative: A Proper Response from the Commission
- Fresh Opportunities from the Treaty of Lisbon
- Europe in the 21st century: Perspectives from the Lisbon Treaty
- Understanding Klaus: The Story of Czech Eurorealism
- Two new leaders in search of a job description
- Next time must be different
- The Treaty of Lisbon and the Czech Constitutional Court: Act II
- Staying in the Loop - The Commission’s role in first reading agreements
Related Articles
- Europe as a global actor: Views from the Spanish Presidency
- Keynote speech by José Manuel Durão Barroso at the Opening Dinner of the CEPS Annual Conference 2008
- Just what is this absorption capacity of the European Union? - Launch of a CEPS Policy Brief
- The Period of Reflection: Which way forward for Europe?
- Enlargement of the Eurozone: Why and When?