“Justifying Comitology: The Promise of Deliberation”

Neyer, Jürgen. (1999) “Justifying Comitology: The Promise of Deliberation” . In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 1999 (6th), June 2-5, 1999, pages 22, Pittsburgh, PA.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is twofold: in the following section, it provides some basic data on comitology and introduces the normative concerns voiced by the European Parliament. Responding to the interinstitutional debate and reacting to the Commissions' proposal concerning a reform of comitology, the paper proceeds by asking for adequate normative justifications of supranational governance and their implications for a reform of comitology. It is argued that convincing normative justifications must not be developed in the void of general reflections about the procedural and substantive requirements of a democracy but need to take account of the very nature of the European polity.