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Glossary of shared terminology (N to P)
In ‘network’ systems, politics is not about the reproduction of identity but of managing differentiation. This is most pronounced in the case of the EU.
Since consociation is the widely accepted governing principle and interest is both the rationale for exchange relations and the genuine reason for lasting agreements, the EC is well equipped as a network type of governance.
[Kohler-Koch (1999) The Evolution and Transformation of European Governance, in: Kohler-Koch/Eising (eds) The Transformation of Governance in the European Union, London: Routledge, p. 24-25]. |
New governance arrangements combine broad participation in policy making, coordination of multiple levels of government, use of information and benchmarking, recognition of the need for diversity, and structured but unsanctioned surveillance from the Commission and Council. Because this new type of governance does not primarily rely on top-down command and control-type regulation backed by sanctions, its use has been described as a move from ‘hard law’ to ‘soft law’.
[Trubek/Mosher: (2003) New Governance, Employment Policy, and the European Social Model, in: Zeiltlin/Trubek (eds) Governing Work and Welfare in a New Economy, Oxford: OUP, p. 33]. |
OMC on the one hand and voluntary accords with and by private actors on the other. Ideally, these new modes of governance are guided by (1) the principles of voluntarism – that is, non-binding targets and soft law, without formal sanctions; (2) subsidiarity – that is, measures are decided by member states or private actors; and (3) inclusion – that is, the actors concerned participate in defining the policy goals and the instruments to be applied.
[Héritier (2003) New Modes of Governance in Europe, in: Börzel/Cichowski (eds) The State of the European Union, Vol. 6: Law, Politics, and Society, Oxford: OUP, p. 106]. |
This definition of ‘new’ modes of governance is derived from a narrow understanding of governance (3) as non-hierarchical coordination: New modes of governance are characterized by the direct involvement of private actors in the provision of collective goods and services.
Therefore, new modes of governance refer to the making and implementation of collectively binding decisions (based or not based on legislation) that:
1. are not hierarchically imposed, i.e. each actor involved has a formal or de facto veto in policy-making and voluntarily complies with the decisions made, and
2. systematically involve actors, for profit (e.g. firms) and not for profit (e.g. non-governmental organizations in policy formulation and implementation.
Excluded are lobbying and mere advocacy activities of non-state actors.
[Börzel et al. 2005: NEWGOV Working Paper 12 D01]
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| A contextualised method of benchmarking allowing for intensive consultation to set and modify standards, with targets that are wholly or partially negotiable, and ample feedback on implementation, involving state and non-state actors at various levels. In other words, it is a new working method (or mode of governance) at the EU level, which is based on five key principles: subsidiarity, convergence, management by objectives, country surveillance and an integrated approach.
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| The participatory dimension of democracy refers to the involvement of civil society and social partners in the policy-making process in that they give voice to citizens’ policy concerns.
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| The process used for checking the work performed by one's equals (peers) to ensure it meets specific criteria. Its main goal is to verify whether the work satisfies the specifications for review, identify any deviations from the standards, and provide suggestions for improvements.
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| This criterion means that deliberation by policy-makers has to be public and debated in national and European media through national and European parliaments. Although the exchange of information and ideas among participants is defined as part of the OMC process, public debate is not.
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