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The European Commission, Expert Groups, and the Policy Process

Demystifying Technocratic Governance

  • Book
  • © 2015

Overview

Authors:
  1. Julia Metz

    1. German Bundestag, Germany

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Part of the book series: European Administrative Governance (EAGOV)

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
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  2. Introduction

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 1-20

  3. A Relationship of Resource Dependencies

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 21-45

  4. A Bird’s-Eye View

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 47-74

  5. Technical Advice United with Political Agenda Setting

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 75-98

  6. Powerfully Shaping the Commission’s Research Agenda

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 99-123

  7. A Reality Check and Clearing House

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 125-142

  8. Accumulating Political Ammunition

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 143-159

  9. A Cross-Sectoral View

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 161-187

  10. Conclusion: Technocratic Governance between Myth and Reality

    • Julia Metz
    Pages 189-210

  11. Back Matter

    Pages 211-243
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Keywords

About this book

This book challenges the assumption that policy makers' work with advisory committees is emblematic of technocratic governance. Analyzing how and why the European Commission uses expert groups in the policy process, it shows that experts not only solve technical problems, but also function as political devices and negotiators in modern governance.

Reviews

'This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the European Commission's expert committees, drawing on quantitative data as well as on case studies. The expert group system has so far been seen as one of the main indicators of the Commission's predominantly technocratic nature. Metz challenges this view, showing that expert groups are parts of a basically political process, thus portraying the Commission more as a 'normal' political executive than as a technocratic body.' Professor Morten Egeberg, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway

'Julia Metz has produced a path-breaking study of an under-researched dimension of committee governance: the European Commission's expert groups. Drawing on resource dependency theory, and offering in-depth empirical findings, the book sheds light on the different ways (instrumental, consensus-building and substantiating) in which the Commission makes use of external expertise.' Professor Michelle Cini, Jean Monnet Chair in European Politics, University of Bristol, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  • German Bundestag, Germany

    Julia Metz

About the author

Julia Metz is an advisor at the German Parliament. She holds a doctoral degree from the Freie Universität Berlin and has previously worked as a senior researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and at the University of Bremen, Germany. Her work covers the areas of public administration and European governance, and has appeared in, among others, the Journal of European Integration and in Policy and Society.

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