CIVDEMO

The contribution of Civil Society Organizations to representative democracy in the EU

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The proposed study will address how Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) contribute to non-electoral representation in the EU. The theoretical perspective chosen is based on the assumption that representation is a sine qua non for the legitimacy of any democratic political system. This constitutes a novel research area for which there is to date no theoretical discourse and no empirical research. We don't know who is actually represented (and who is not) through CSOs in European governance, on the ground of which mandate and with which forms of accountability, how claims-making by CSOs works across governance levels, and thereby how we can think of democratic representation in the context of undefined constituencies beyond the nation state. The topic is highly relevant given the attention that CSOs have received in the context of the widely perceived “democratic deficit” of the EU as a means of democratization of EU politics and given the increasing influence that non-electoral actors exert in contemporary politics. The fellowship will allow the applicant to close this important research gap in a theoretically highly innovative way, with the help and regular feedback of two very renowned scholars and the larger, international research group that work at Exeter (UK). Placed in an ideal institutional environment, through regular supervision, presentations, both local and at international conferences, and skill courses offered at the host institution, it will allow the applicant to make a decisive step in her career and towards professional independence (professorship) by offering the opportunity to a) fine-tune her theoretical approach, complete her research and draft a monographic study both of which could not be achieved in a reasonable time frame in her present situation, b) improve her complementary skills, particularly successful project management, development of larger collaborative research projects, drafting of funding proposals, and mastery of English'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Civil society organisations (CSOs) often shape public debates. An EU project studied three types of such organisations, finding that though they strongly represent their own constituencies, they are less successful in either representing the public at large or forging a European common interest.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Democratic representation is the foundation of any democratic society, yet the EU is widely perceived to be neither as representative nor democratic as it could be. In addition, CSOs have achieved a very important role in agenda setting, yet little is known about who and what they represent.

The main aim of the EU-funded project 'The contribution of civil society organizations to representative democracy in the EU' (CIVDEMO) was to find out. Running for two years to August 2013, the study investigated how CSOs contribute to political representation across governance levels in the EU. The research also examined the CSOs' conception of representation, the ways they organise representation, and the effects that their EU engagement has on their way of operating. . Additionally, the work addressed more theoretical questions, including the types of political representation involved, and the legitimacy of the role of CSOs. Hence, the study placed CSOs within the larger political context of the EU.

Research also involved collecting qualitative information about three types of CSOs. 'Member' groups include members able to speak for their own interests. 'Cause' groups represent a cause that is unable to represent itself. Finally, 'weak interest' groups represent marginalised people having a weak voice. For the study, the particular agencies included, respectively, groups representing agricultural, environmental and poverty issues.

The project's main finding was that while CSOs might be said to represent their specific domestic constituency, they struggle to find shared interests at EU-level. This is particularly true for CSOs operating in redistributed areas such as agricultural and social redistribution policy. Another finding is that groups use both access (conventional lobbying) and voice (going public) strategies in order to influence policies.

CIVDEMO outcomes have provided European Commission officials with a better understanding of how domestic CSOs engage with EU affairs. The work is similarly relevant to members of the European Parliament, and all national parliaments, wishing to appreciate the role of CSOs in European affairs.