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Most Common When Least Important: Deliberation in the European Union Council of Ministers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 November 2009

Abstract

This article contributes to the empirical turn in deliberative democratic theory, by studying the presence of arguing (discussion on the merits) and bargaining in the working groups of the Council of the European Union. It uses a survey of representatives of member states to analyse to what extent, under what circumstances, and by whom, arguing is used. The results indicate that arguing is indeed common in the Council working groups, but also that there is substantial variation. Most arguing is found in intergovernmental policy areas and by the most powerful and well-connected actors. The findings point to the conclusion that higher stakes and political pressure make actors less willing and able to engage in arguing.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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References

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43 The survey is part of a broader project on cooperation and communication patterns in the working groups of the Council of the EU, which also includes a first survey in 2003 and a third survey in 2009. Daniel Naurin and Rutger Lindahl were responsible for the data collection.

44 The higher level working groups were Coreper II and Coreper I (the ambassadors and the vice-ambassadors of the member states’ permanent representations in Brussels), the Economic Policy Committee, the Special Committee on Agriculture, the Political and Security Committee and the Article 36 Committee (the latter dealing with judicial co-operation in the field of criminal matters, police co-operation, organized crime and terrorism). In cases where we were unable to interview a Coreper II or Coreper I ambassador, we substituted them with their assistants (in EU-jargon these are called the Antici- and Mertens-delegates respectively). The lower level working groups were the Politico-Military Working Party, the Working Party on Agricultural Questions, the Working Party on the Environment, the Working Party on Tax Questions and the Working Party on Competition and Growth.

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47 This question concerns both whether the respondents at all communicated their position informally and whether they in that case gave reasons. The figure should therefore not be directly compared to communications at the meeting, where the percentage base only includes respondents who did state their position at the meeting.

48 Taking into account also that women are underrepresented within the intergovernmental working groups compared to the supranational groups reduces the difference further. Taking only supranational working groups into account, men are still arguing more than women at the meetings (a difference of 8 percentage points), while women are arguing slightly more (3 percentage points) than men before meetings.

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