The European Commission, expert groups and the policy process

About this book

Challenging the assumption that policy makers' work with advisory committees is emblematic of technocratic governance, this book provides an authoritative account of European Commission expert groups and their role in the EU policy process. It offers a rich empirical investigation of an understudied and highly topical subject matter, including an analysis of the Commission's expert-group system, in-depth studies of single expert groups, and a cross-sectoral view. The results challenge the prevailing view of expert groups as purely technocratic entities. Expert groups provide not only solutions to complex policy problems but also tactical support for predefined policies, and they broker consensus in anticipation of impending decision making. By showing how and why the European Commission uses its expert groups, this book offers novel insights into the relationship between policy makers and their advisors in modern governance.