The surprising effects of transparency on the EU legislative process

  • Stéphanie Novak Hertie School of Governance
Keywords: transparency, EU institutions, decision-making process

Abstract

Since the 1990s, several rules have been adopted to increase the transparency of the EU legislative process. This paper explores their effects on the accountability of the actors on the basis of 70 semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The empirical study shows a relative failure of transparency rules, partly because the actors benefit of a high degree of discretion in the enforcement of rules. However, the paper argues that more than evading the rules, EU decision-makers tend to implement them strategically, that is, to redirect them toward more beneficial effects.

Received: 15 April 2014
Accepted: 09 June 2014
Published online: 15 April 2016

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Published
2014-10-31
How to Cite
Novak, Stéphanie. 2014. “The Surprising Effects of Transparency on the EU Legislative Process”. Deusto Journal of European Studies, no. 51 (October), 45-70. https://doi.org/10.18543/ced-51-2014pp45-70.