Home | Databases | WorldLII | Search | Feedback Edited Legal Collections Data

Ruzza, Carlo --- "European Institutions and the Policy Discourse of Organised Civil Society" [2006] ELECD 137; in Smismans, Stijn (ed), "Civil Society and Legitimate European Governance" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006)

Book Title: Civil Society and Legitimate European Governance

Editor(s): Smismans, Stijn

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781843769460

Section: Chapter 8

Section Title: European Institutions and the Policy Discourse of Organised Civil Society

Author(s): Ruzza, Carlo

Number of pages: 27

Extract:

8. European institutions and the policy
discourse of organised civil society
Carlo Ruzza

INTRODUCTION

This chapter starts from the assumption that associations can have a positive
effect and contribute to a democratisation of supranational systems of
governance and examines the conditions under which a democratising effect
can develop. It concentrates on the role of public-interest associations in their
relation with European institutions, and more specifically on social movement
related associations, which it argues are a distinctive type, and proceeds to
illustrate their characteristics and impact. In the empirical part of this chapter,
a methodology is proposed to examine the specific ways in which they can
contribute to democracy. This is based on an analysis of their policy discourse
as reflected in policy documents and a comparison with institutional
documents.
It is argued that the major contribution of movement-related associations
can be the representation of sectors of the population that would otherwise be
excluded from the policy process, the contribution of policy knowledge
relatively unaffected by vested interests, and monitoring functions on the
relations between vested interests and European Union institutions. In order to
effectively provide these contributions social movements related associations
must on the one hand remain independent ­ that is, free from extensive
cooptation which would constitute an institutional capture. On the other hand,
their policy discourse must be at least in part compatible with the values and
objectives of institutions. Either cooptation or excessive radicalism and
unwillingness to co-operate would make their contribution ineffective.
Utilising this ...