A report provided an overview of the 'state of the union' in Europe. The report arose from the work of a consortium of European foundations, which aimed to promote a pan-European public debate on the future of the European Union. The report identified a number of interlinked challenges, and five potential future paths for the European Union.
Source: Janis Emmanouilidis, New Pact for Europe: First report – strategic options for Europe s future, King Baudouin Foundation/Bertelsmann Stiftung/European Policy Centre
Date: 2013-Dec
A public Bill was published, designed to enable 'supremacy of the sovereignty' of the United Kingdom parliament in relation to its membership of the European Union. The bill would enable the 'disapplication' of parts of the United Kingdom's obligations under European Union legislation, as discussed by the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee.
Source: United Kingdom Parliament (Sovereignty) Bill, TSO
Links: Bill
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined the role of trade unions in monitoring the Structural Funds (European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund) and the Cohesion Fund, which fund the European Union's economic and social cohesion policy.
Source: Andrzej Jakubowski and Alain Mestre (eds.), The Role of Trade Union Organisations in Planning and Monitoring Economic and Social Cohesion Policies in the New Financial Framework for 2014-2020, European Economic and Social Committee (European Union)
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Nov
A government report provided the annual statement to Parliament detailing the year's European Union budget, and the United Kingdom's gross and net contributions. It included information on developments in financial management in the European Union.
Source: European Union Finances 2013: Statement on the 2013 EU budget and measures to counter fraud and financial mismanagement, Cm 8740, HM Treasury, TSO
Links: Report | HMT press release
Date: 2013-Nov
A report by a committee of MPs said that the existing European Committee system should be enhanced, made recommendations about scheduling and conduct of debates in the House of Commons, and suggested the creation of a new session of 'EU Questions'. It said that the United Kingdom should introduce a form of national veto over European Union legislative proposals, and then explore the 'disapplication' of parts of the existing European Union obligations.
Source: Reforming the European Scrutiny System in the House of Commons, Twenty-fourth Report (Session 2013–14), HC 109-I, House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee, TSO
Links: Report Vol I | Report Vol II | Report Vol III
Date: 2013-Nov
A think-tank report examined the institutions and policies of the European Union, and suggested reforms to bring the Union out of its perceived political, social and economic crisis.
Source: Charles Grant, Katinka Barysch, Hugo Brady, David Buchan, Clara Marina O Donnell, John Springford, Stephen Tindale, and Philip Whyte, How to Build a Modern European Union, Centre for European Reform
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Nov
A government report examined the potential position of Scotland within the European Union, post-independence.
Source: Scotland in the European Union, Scottish Government
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined trust in national and European political institutions, and levels of civic engagement during the economic crisis. It said that, in most countries, trust in both national and European political institutions had eroded substantially. Rates of traditional forms of participation had decreased, although new online forms of political expression had emerged.
Source: Political Trust and Civic Engagement During the Crisis, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Links: Report | Eurofound press release
Date: 2013-Nov
The European Parliament voted to accept the Multiannual Financial Framework and associated Inter-institutional Agreement, both key elements of the European Union budget for 2014-2020. The funding for individual programmes was yet to be finalized.
Source: Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020, European Parliament
Links: Multiannual Framework | Interinstitutional agreement | European Parliament press release | European Commission memo | BBC report
Date: 2013-Nov
A new book examined the future of the European Union and discussed a range of ideas for reform.
Source: Anthony Giddens, Turbulent and Mighty Continent: What future for Europe?, Polity Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Nov
A report (by a government-appointed taskforce) highlighted proposals to simplify trade across borders, and proposals to remove perceived existing and proposed regulatory barriers to trade and economic growth.
Source: Business Taskforce, Cut EU Red Tape: Report from the Business Taskforce, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report | DBIS press release | BCC press release
Date: 2013-Oct
A new book examined how the promise of civil society participation in the governance of the European Union was put into practice, and whether the political practice deserved to be called 'participatory democracy'.
Source: Beate Kohler-Koch and Christine Quittkat, De-Mystification of Participatory Democracy: EU-governance and civil society, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Sep
A new book examined how governments, non-profit and private organizations, and local networks understood the connexions between public values and social issues.
Source: Peter Leisink, Paul Boselie, Maarten van Bottenburg, and Dian Marie Hosking (eds), Managing Social Issues: A public values perspective, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Sep
An article examined the influence of the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions (advisory bodies within the European Union). It was found that consultative committees were not very influential overall: nonetheless, they could exert influence under certain conditions, depending on the speed with which they produced recommendations, the quality of the recommendations, and the resonance with the addressees' prior beliefs.
Source: Christoph Honnige and Diana Pankeo, 'The Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee: how influential are consultative committees in the European Union?', Journal of Common Market Studies, Volume 51 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Apr
An article examined member states' transposition of the provisions of different European Union directives.
Source: Asya Zhelyazkova, 'Complying with EU directives' requirements: the link between EU decision-making and the correct transposition of EU provisions', Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 20 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Apr
A think-tank report examined attempts to promote a 'civil dialogue' between the European Union and the general public. It said that instead of being consulted directly, people had been 'ventriloquized' through 'sock puppet' charities, think tanks, and other civil society groups that were selected and financed by the European Commission. These organizations typically lobbied for closer European integration, bigger EU budgets, and more EU regulation.
Source: Christopher Snowdon, Euro Puppets: The European Commission's remaking of civil society, Institute of Economic Affairs
Date: 2013-Mar
A new book examined how, and to what extent, the European Employment Strategy and the open method of coordination (OMC) on social protection and social inclusion had influenced national labour market and social welfare policies.
Source: Martin Heidenreich and Jonathan Zeitlin (eds), Changing European Employment and Welfare Regimes: The influence of the open method of coordination on national reforms, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Mar
A paper examined the quality of sample design information in the EU-SILC dataset. It formulated recommendations for data producers about how to improve the quality of sample design variables, and for data users about how to make optimal use of the information that was already available in the dataset.
Source: Tim Goedeme, The EU-SILC Sample Design Variables: Critical review and recommendations, Working Paper 13/02, Centre for Social Policy (Antwerp University)
Links: Paper
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
Date: 2013-Mar
An article examined the 'paradox' that citizens of European countries wanted their regional governments to do more and yet seemed reluctant to embrace the logical consequences of regional control, namely inter-regional policy variation and limited state-wide intervention in policy provision.
Source: Ailsa Henderson, Charlie Jeffery, Daniel Wincott, and Richard Wyn Jones, 'Reflections on the "devolution paradox": a comparative examination of multilevel citizenship', Regional Studies, Volume 47 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Mar
A new book examined attempts at social policy reform in a range of European countries.
Source: Liesbet Heyse, Sandra Resodihardjo, Tineke Lantink, and Berber Lettinga (eds), Reform in Europe: Breaking the barriers in government, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Notes: Chapters included: Francesca Gains, 'Modernizing English Local Government: Voice, loyalty, and exit in the demise of the committee system'
Date: 2013-Feb
An article examined which European Union-level characteristics of the open method of co-ordination (OMC) were most likely to result in pressure on national governments to reconsider their policies as a result of OMC-related parliamentary activities and media coverage (drawing on evidence from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands). The findings indicated that, when an OMC was adopted in a policy field without any other type of EU-level activity already present, or did not include indicators/benchmarks or peer learning activities, the OMC would not increase the pressure on a national government.
Source: Rik de Ruiter, 'Full disclosure? The open method of coordination, parliamentary debates and media coverage', European Union Politics, Volume 14 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Notes: The open method of coordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2013-Feb
An article identified three levels of transposition outcomes for European Union Directives: conformable, partially conformable, and non-conformable. Preference-related factors, in particular the disagreement of a member state and the Commission regarding a Directive's outcome, played a much more strategic role than had to date been acknowledged. Whereas disagreement by a member state delayed conformable transposition, it speeded up non-conformable transposition. Disagreement by the Commission only prolonged the transposition process. A stronger focus on an effective sanctioning mechanism was warranted for safeguarding compliance with Directives.
Source: Thomas Konig and Lars Mader, 'Non-conformable, partial and conformable transposition: a competing risk analysis of the transposition process of directives in the EU15', European Union Politics, Volume 14 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Feb
An article examined the relationship between political trust and political participation in European countries. Although political trust was found to be positively associated with institutionalized participation, it was negatively associated with non-institutionalized participation. Moreover, the effect of political trust on institutionalized participation was dependent on self-confidence about people's ability to understand politics.
Source: Marc Hooghe and Sofie Marien, 'A comparative analysis of the relation between political trust and forms of political participation in Europe', European Societies, Volume 15 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Feb
A paper examined the development of a crucial component of the European Union's social open method of co-ordination (OMC) – its benchmarking toolbox. It considered how benchmarking actually worked through each of its elements, including stakeholder networks, peer reviews, and joint reports. The social OMC's learning tools were more dynamic and diversified than was usually acknowledged.
Source: Peter Lelie and Bart Vanhercke, Inside the Social OMC s Learning Tools: How 'benchmarking social Europe' really worked, Opinion Paper 10, European Social Observatory (Brussels)
Links: Paper
Date: 2013-Feb
A new book examined institutional changes, welfare reforms, and transformations in governance in the United Kingdom and Italy over the previous three decades. Although it had been widely expected that the arena of social and economic governance would shift to the national level, both the countries had seen the sub-national level of governance became crucial in redefining public services, and in designing, delivering, and monitoring key services.
Source: Alberto Brugnoli and Alessandro Colombo (eds), Government, Governance and Welfare Reform: Structural changes and subsidiarity in Italy and Britain, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Jan
