Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T11:34:08.208Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Imitation and supranational politics: some lessons from the European Ombudsman and the European Court of Auditors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2010

Kostas Kourtikakis
Kostas Kourtikakis*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
*
* E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Why do certain European Union (EU) institutions look so much like institutions in its member states? The article asserts the reason for this similarity is that these structures have been ‘copied’ from the member states to the EU and provides a historical institutionalist explanation for this process of institutional transfer. The theory of isomorphism provides the analytical foundation for understanding institutional imitation in the EU, while the European ombudsman (EO) and the European Court of Auditors (ECAs) serve as the empirical case studies on which the theory is tested. The article finds that previously existing institutional arrangements matter not only by molding actor preferences in relation to an upcoming institutional transfer, but also by restricting their options and behavior. Specifically, the founding of the EO and the ECAs was the result of pressures exercised by the European Parliament, a supranational body, and the governments of the EU member states. In order to achieve the transfer, those actors had to navigate established institutional practices, primarily the ones associated with the negotiation of new treaties, which are necessary for the addition of new institutions to the EU institutional edifice.

Keywords

European Unionhistorical institutionalismisomorphismombudsmanaudit
Type
Research Article
Information
European Political Science Review , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , March 2010 , pp. 27 - 48
Copyright
Copyright © European Consortium for Political Research 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aldrich, H.E. Ruef, M. (2006), Organizations Evolving, 2nd edition. London; Thousand Oaks; New Delhi: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beetham, D. (1998), Legitimacy and the EU, London; New York: Longman.Google Scholar
De Jong, M. Edelenbos, J. (2007), ‘An insider’s look into policy transfer in transnational networks’, European Planning Studies 15(5): 687–706.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiMaggio, P.J. Powell, W.W. (1983), ‘The iron cage revisited: institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields’, American Sociological Review 48(2): 147–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dolowitz, D.P. Marsh, D. (2000), ‘Learning from abroad: the role of policy transfer in contemporary policy making’, Governance 77(2): 361–385.Google Scholar
European Commission (1972), ‘Report of the working party examining the problem of the enlargement of the powers of the European Parliament, “Report Vedel” ’, Bulletin of the European Communities, Supplement 4/72. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Commission (1973a), ‘Strengthening of the budgetary powers of the European Parliament’. COM (73) 1000. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Commission (1973b), ‘Strengthening of the budgetary powers of the European Parliament’. COM (73) 1000/final. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Commission (1973c), ‘Strengthening parliament’s budgetary authority (Point 2407)’. Bulletin of the European Communities 9: 61–62.Google Scholar
European Commission (1973d), ‘Strengthening parliament’s budgetary authority (Points 2401, 2402)’, Bulletin of the European Communities 10: 69–72.Google Scholar
European Commission (1985), ‘A people’s Europe; reports from the ad hoc Committee’, Bulletin of the European Communities, supplement 7/85. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Commission (1990), ‘Commission opinion of 21 October 1990 on the proposal for amendment of the treaty establishing the European Community with a view to political union’. COM (90) 600 of 21 October. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Commission (1991), ‘Initial contributions by the commission to the intergovernmental conference on political union’. SEC (91) 500 of 15 May. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1964), ‘Résolution du Parlement européen sur les problèmes budgétaires et administratifs posés par la fusion des exécutifs et éventuellement des Communautés (24 September 1964)’. Official Journal of the European Communities 153 (6 October ): 2447.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1971), Official Journal of the European Communities, Annex: Debates of the European Parliament 143 (November).Google Scholar
European Parliament (1972a), Official Journal of the European Communities, Annex: Debates of the European Parliament 154 (October).Google Scholar
European Parliament (1972b), Official Journal of the European Communities, Annex: Debates of the European Parliament 155 (November).Google Scholar
European Parliament (1973a), The Case for a European Audit Office, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1973b), ‘Resolution embodying the opinion of the European parliament on the communication from the commission of the European Communities to the Council on the strengthening of the budgetary powers of the European Parliament’, Official Journal of the European Communities, C Series 87 (17 October).Google Scholar
European Parliament (1974), ‘Written question no. 562/74 by Lord O’ Hagan to the commission of the European Communities’, Official Journal of the European Communities, C Series 55 (7 March): 13.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1975a), ‘Report drawn on behalf of the committee on budgets on the draft treaty amending certain financial provisions of the treaties establishing the European Communities and of the treaty establishing a single council and a single commission of the European Communities’. European Parliament working documents, PE 41.183/fin., 9 July.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1975b), ‘Resolution embodying the opinion of the European Parliament on the draft treaty amending certain financial provisions of the treaties establishing the European Communities and of the treaty establishing a single council and a single commission of the European Communities’, Official Journal of the European Communities C 179 (6 August): 61.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1977a), ‘Oral question no. H-226/76 by Mrs Ewing to the Commission of the European Communities’, Official Journal of the European Communities, Annex: Debates of the European Parliament 211: 66.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1977b), ‘Written question no. 750/76 by Mr Dondelinger to the Commission’, Official Journal of the European Communities, C Series 50 (28 February): 42.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1977c), ‘Written question no. 751/76 by Mr Dondelinger to the council of the European Communities’, Official Journal of the European Communities, C Series 70 (March 21): 14.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1979a), ‘Report drawn up on behalf of the legal affairs committee on the appointment of a community ombudsman by the European Parliament’, European Parliament working documents, Doc. 29/79, PE 57.508 fin, 6 April.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1979b), ‘Resolution on the appointment of a community ombudsman by the European Parliament’. Official Journal of the European Communities, C Series 140 (6 June): 153.Google Scholar
European Parliament (1985), ‘Resolution on strengthening the citizen’s right to petition the European Parliament’, Official Journal of the European Communities, C Series 175 (15 July): 273.Google Scholar
Featherstone, K. Radaelli, C.M. (2003), The Politics of Europeanization, Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frumkin, P. Galaskievicz, J. (2004), ‘Institutional isomorphism and public sector organizations’, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 14(3): 283–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
George, A.L. Bennett, A. (2005), ‘Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences’, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Giddings, P., Gregory, R. Harris, A. (2002), ‘The European Union Ombudsman’, in A. Warleigh (ed.), Understanding European Union Institutions, London; New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Haas, P.M. (1992), ‘Introduction: epistemic communities and international policy coordination’, International Organization 46(1): 1–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, P.A. Taylor, R.C.R. (1996), ‘Political science and the three institutionalisms’, Political Studies 44(4): 952–973.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Héritier, A. (1996), ‘The accommodation of diversity in European policy making and its outcomes: regulatory policy as a patchwork’, Journal of European Public Policy 3(2): 149–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacoby, W. (2000), Imitation and Politics: Redesigning Modern Germany, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
John, P. (1999), ‘Ideas and interests; agendas and implementation: an evolutionary explanation of policy change in British Local Government Finance’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations 1(1): 39–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knill, C. (2001), The Europeanization of National Administrations; Patterns of Institutional Change and Persistence, Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Laffan, B. (1997), The Finances of the European Union, New York: St Martin’s Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laffan, B. (2002), ‘The court of auditors’, in A. Warleigh (ed.), Understanding European Union Institutions, London; New York: Routledge, pp. 123–138.Google Scholar
Laffan, B. (2003), ‘Auditing and accountability in the European Union’, Journal of European Public Policy 10(5): 762–777.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lodge, M. (2000), ‘Isomorphism of national policies? The ‘Europeanization’ of German competition and public procurement law’, West European Politics 23(1): 89–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lord, C. Magnette, P. (2004), ‘E Pluribus Unum? Creative disagreement about legitimacy in the EU’, Journal of Common Market Studies 42(1): 183–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Magnette, P. (2003), ‘Between parliamentary control and the rule of law: the political role of the ombudsman in the European Union’, Journal of European Public Policy 10(5): 677–694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mamadouh, V. (2002), ‘Representing the people of the European Union: transplanting democratic institutions to the supranational level’, in M. De Jong, K. Lalenis and V. Mamadouh (eds), The Theory and Practice of Institutional Transplantation: Experiences With the Transfer of Policy Institutions, Dordrecht; Boston; London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 247–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marias, E.A. (1994), ‘The European Ombudsman’, Eipascope, 1994/1. Retrieved from http://www.eipa.eu/files/repository/eipascope/Scop94_1_1.pdfGoogle Scholar
Moravcsik, A. (2002), ‘In defense of the “Democratic Deficit”: reassessing legitimacy in the European Union’, Journal of Common Market Studies 40(4): 603–624.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mulgan, R. (2003), Holding Power to Account: Accountability in Modern Democracies, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Offe, C. (1996), ‘Designing institutions in East European transitions’, in R.E. Goodin (ed.), The Theory of Institutional Design, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 199–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pedersen, L.H. (2006), ‘Transfer and transformation in processes of Europeanization’, European Journal of Political Research 45(6): 985–1021.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, J. (2006), ‘The college of commissioners’, in J. Peterson and M. Shackleton (eds), The Institutions of the European Union, Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 81–103.Google Scholar
Pierson, P. (2000), ‘Increasing returns, path dependence, and the study of politics’, American Political Science Review 94(2): 251–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Radaelli, C.M. (2000), ‘Policy transfer in the European Union: institutional isomorphism as a source of legitimacy’, Governance 13(1): 25–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Retuerto Buades, M. (1994), ‘Le médiateur de l’ Espagne’, in E.A. Marias (ed.), The European Ombudsman: Working Document, Maastricht, The Netherlands: European Institute of Public Administration.Google Scholar
Rosamond, B. (2000), Theories of European Integration, Houndmills: Palgrave.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, D. (2000), ‘Non-governmental policy transfer: the strategies of independent policy institutes’, Governance 13(1): 45–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, D. (2004), ‘Transfer agents and global networks in the ‘Transnationalization’ of policy’, Journal of European Public Policy 11(3): 545–566.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Streeck, W. Thelen, K. (2005), ‘Introduction: institutional change in advanced political economies’, in W. Streeck and K. Thelen (eds), Beyond Continuity: Institutional Change in Advanced Political Economies, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 1–39.Google Scholar
Van Bueren, E., Bougrain, F. Knorr-Siedow, T. (2002), ‘Sustainable neighbourhood rehabilitation in Europe: from simple toolbox to multilateral learning’, in M. De Jong, K. Lalenis and V. Mamadouh (eds), The Theory and Practice of Institutional Transplantation: Experiences with the Transfer of Policy Institutions, Dordrecht; Boston, MA; London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 263–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westney, D.E. (1987), Imitation and Innovation: The Transfer of Western Organizational Patterns in Meiji Japan, London; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar