"Coordination of European Policy in Poland: The importance of path dependence and increasing returns in the determination of European 'viability'"

Nowak-Far, Artur. (2005) "Coordination of European Policy in Poland: The importance of path dependence and increasing returns in the determination of European 'viability'" . In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2005 (9th), March 31-April 2, 2005, pages 22, Austin, Texas.

Abstract

[From the Introduction]. Each EU member state has its own EU policy coordination system. This system is decisive for its European “viability” with regard to EU policies and decision-making procedures. This viability is its general capacity to properly fulfill all Member State obligations arising from acquis and adequately address all problems arising during the process of acquis formulation (i .e. during the negotiation phase of its formation in the Council or in the comitology procedures where relevant committees support the European Commission whenever it has delegated legislative powers). The Member State’s European viability can be considered in terms of four complementary to each other spheres which can be referred to as relational areas: (a) domestic EU law and policies implementation area, in which the adequate recognition of acquis by relevant national authorities and bodies as well as its complete and effective implementation on the national ground is at stake, (b) cooperation-negotiation area, where the identification of national interests in the EU decision-making process, their substantiation and ultimate recasting into balanced mandates and persuasive negotiation argumentation later presented at the EU level should occur, (c) legitimization area, where positions presented by national administration in various EU decision-making gremia are given necessary political support by adequately identified domestic groups of significant interests and/or key national authorities elected by a broad suffrage (i. e. the parliament and, usually, regional and local self-governmental bodies), (d) litigation area, in which proper protection of national interests within the EU judicial system (i. e. through the Court of Justice or the Court of First Instance) is at stake, irrespective of whether the state appears as a plaintiff or a defendant, or an intervenient, in a given case under these European courts’ scrutiny.