Skip to content
Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter June 2, 2018

How to Win the Brussels Game? Explaining the European Parliament’s Success under the Co-Decision

  • Adam Kirpsza EMAIL logo
From the journal World Political Science

Abstract:

The purpose of the article is to identify the conditions that affect the success of the European Parliament’s amendments in the ordinary legislative procedure. In the first step, hypotheses were delineated predicting the impact of specific factors on the effectiveness of EP demands. Subsequently, they were verified using the logistic regression. The results revealed that the EP is more likely to be successful in this procedure if it applies the following negotiation techniques. First, it bundles several legislative proposals in one package. Second, it persuades the European Commission to support its amendments. Third, it negotiates the legislative proposals in trilogues. Fourth, it is cohesive during negotiations. Fifth, it prolongs negotiations with the Council until the end of parliamentary term. Sixth, it designates a rapporteur from a country acting at the same time as the Council Presidency. Seventh, it negotiates with the Council when the Presidency legislative workload is high.

Streszczenie:

Celem artykułu jest identyfikacja warunków i technik negocjacyjnych, które wpływają na sukces poprawek Parlamentu Europejskiego w zwykłej procedurze ustawodawczej. W pierwszym kroku postawiono hipotezy dotyczące wpływu określonych czynników na skuteczność postulatów PE. Następnie zweryfikowano je za pomocą regresji logistycznej. Analiza empiryczna wykazała, że jeśli Parlament Europejski chce zwiększyć skuteczność swoich poprawek w zwykłej procedurze ustawodawczej, powinien podejmować siedem działań. Po pierwsze, łączyć kilka projektów w pakiet. Po drugie, formułować swoje postulaty w taki sposób, aby uzyskać dla nich poparcie ze strony Komisji. Po trzecie, negocjować projekty legislacyjne w trialogach. Po czwarte, prezentować w negocjacjach spójne stanowisko, czyli zgłaszać poprawki popierane przez znaczną większość posłów. Po piąte, przeciągać negocjacje na okres bliski końca kadencji PE. Po szóste, desygnować na sprawozdawcę projektu posła, który pochodzi z kraju pełniącego w tym samym czasie funkcję prezydencji w Radzie. Po siódme, prowadzić negocjacje z Radą w okresie, gdy państwo pełniące prezydencję jest bardzo zapracowane.

Acknowledgments

The project was financed from resources of the Polish National Science Centre granted by decision no. DEC-2013/09/N/HS5/04266, Funder Id: 10.13039/501100004281.

References

Bianco, Ana M. and Victor J. Yohai (1996) “Robust Estimation in the Logistic Regression Model.” In: (Helmut Rieder, ed.) Robust Statistics, Data Analysis and Computer Intensive Methods. Lecture Notes in Statistics. New York: Springer-Verlag.10.1007/978-1-4612-2380-1_2Search in Google Scholar

Burns, Charlotte (2004) “Codecision and the European Commission: A Study of Declining Influence?” Journal of European Public Policy, 11(1):1–18.10.1080/1350176042000164271Search in Google Scholar

Burns, Charlotte (2005) “Who Pays? Who Gains? How do Costs and Benefits Shape the Policy Influence of the European Parliament.” Journal of Common Market Studies, 43(3):485–505.10.1111/j.0021-9886.2005.00566.xSearch in Google Scholar

Checkel, Jeffrey T. (2005) “International Institutions and Socialization in Europe. Introduction and Framework.” International Organization, 59(4):801–826.10.1017/CBO9780511618444.002Search in Google Scholar

Cooper, Cary L. (1998) Theories of Organizational Stress. New York: Oxford University Press.Search in Google Scholar

Costello, Rory and Robert Thomson (2011) “The Nexus of Bicameralism: Rapporteurs’ Impact on Decision Outcomes in the European Union.” European Union Politics, 12(3):337–357.10.1177/1465116511410087Search in Google Scholar

Costello, Rory and Robert Thomson (2013) “The Distribution of Power among EU Institutions: Who Wins under Codecision and Why?” Journal of European Public Policy, 20(7): 1025–1039.10.1080/13501763.2013.795393Search in Google Scholar

Crombez, Christophe (1996) “Legislative Procedures in the European Community.” British Journal of Political Science, 26(2):199–228.10.1017/S0007123400000429Search in Google Scholar

Egeberg, Morten (1999) “Transcending Intergovernmentalism? Identity and Role Perceptions of National Officials in EU Decision-Making.” Journal of European Public Policy, 6(3):456–474.10.1080/135017699343621Search in Google Scholar

Egeberg, Morten (2006) “Executive Politics as Usual: Role Behaviour and Conflict Dimensions in the College of European Commissioners.” Journal of European Public Policy, 13(1):1–15.10.1080/13501760500380593Search in Google Scholar

Elgström, Ole and Christer Jönsson (2000) “Negotiation in the European Union: Bargaining or Problem-Solving?” Journal of European Public Policy, 7(5):684–704.10.1080/13501760010014902Search in Google Scholar

Farrell, Henry and Adrienne Héritier (2004) “Interorganizational Negotiation and Intraorganizational Power in Shared Decision Making: Early Agreements Under Codecision and Their Impact on the European Parliament and Council.” Comparative Political Studies, 37(10):1184–1212.10.1177/0010414004269833Search in Google Scholar

Franchino, Fabio and Camilla Mariotto (2012) “Explaining Negotiations in the Conciliation Committee.” European Union Politics, 14(3):345–365.10.1177/1465116512468216Search in Google Scholar

Golub, Jonathan (2008) “The Study of Decision-Making Speed in the European Union. Methods, Data and Theory.” European Union Politics, 9(1):167–179.10.1177/1465116507085961Search in Google Scholar

Häge, Frank (2007a) “Committee Decision-making in the Council of the European Union.” European Union Politics, 8(3):299–328.10.1177/1465116507079539Search in Google Scholar

Häge, Frank (2007b) “The Division of Labour in Legislative Decision-Making of the Council of the European Union.” Journal of Legislative Studies, 13(4):497–516.10.1080/13572330701663595Search in Google Scholar

Heisenberg, Dorothee (2005) “The Institution of ‘Consensus’ in the European Union: Formal versus Informal Decision-Making in the Council.” European Journal of Political Research, 44(1):65–90.10.1111/j.1475-6765.2005.00219.xSearch in Google Scholar

Hosmer, David W. and Stanley Lemeshow (2000) Applied Logistic Regression. New York: John Wiley & Sons.10.1002/0471722146Search in Google Scholar

Kardasheva, Raya (2009a) “The Power to Delay: The European Parliament’s Influence in the Consultation Procedure.” Journal of Common Market Studies, 47(2):385–409.10.1111/j.1468-5965.2009.00809.xSearch in Google Scholar

Kardasheva, Raya (2009b) Legislative Package Deals in EU Decision-Making: 19992007, thesis submitted to the European Institute of the London School of Economics.Search in Google Scholar

Kardasheva, Raya (2013) “Package Deals in EU Legislative Politics.” American Journal of Political Science, 57(4):858–874.10.1111/ajps.12035Search in Google Scholar

Kirpsza, Adam (2013) “Zastosowanie regresji logistycznej w studiach nad Unią Europejską.” In: (Kamil Ławniczak, ed.) Metody jakościowe i ilościowe w badaniu organizacji i działania Unii Europejskiej. Warsaw: University of Warsaw Press.Search in Google Scholar

Kirpsza, Adam (2015a) “‘Nie chcę, ale muszę’. Powody negocjowania aktów prawnych Unii Europejskiej w trilogach.” In: (Konstanty A. Wojtaszczyk, Justyna Wiśniewska-Grzelak, eds.) Teorie i metody w studiach europejskichVOgólnopolskie Europeistyczne Warsztaty Metodologiczne dla Doktorantów i Habilitantów. Warsaw: ASPRA-JR.Search in Google Scholar

Kirpsza, Adam (2015b) “Porozumienia pakietowe w procesie legislacyjnym Unii Europejskiej.” In: (Konstanty A. Wojtaszczyk, Józef Tymanowski, Paweł Stawarz, eds.) Integracja europejska. Główne obszary badawcze. Warsaw: University of Warsaw Press.Search in Google Scholar

Kirpsza, Adam (2015c) “Skuteczność poprawek Parlamentu Europejskiego w procedurze konsultacji (specjalnej procedurze ustawodawczej).” Politeja 3(35):419–444.10.12797/Politeja.12.2015.35.27Search in Google Scholar

König, Thomas, Bjorn Lindberg, Sandra Lechner and Winfried Pohlmeier (2007) “Bicameral Conflict Resolution in the European Union: An Empirical Analysis of Conciliation Committee Bargains.” British Journal of Political Science, 37(2):281–312.10.1017/S0007123407000142Search in Google Scholar

Kurpas, Sebastian, Caroline Grøn, Piotr M. Kaczyński (2008) The European Commission after Enlargement: Does More Add Up to Less?, CEPS Special Report, February.Search in Google Scholar

Lewis, Jeffrey (1998) “Is the ‘Hard Bargaining’Image of the Council Misleading? The Committee of Permanent Representatives and the Local Elections Directive.” Journal of Common Market Studies, 36(4):479–504.10.1111/1468-5965.00136Search in Google Scholar

Lewis, Jeffrey (2005) “The Janus Face of Brussels. Socialization and Everyday Decision Making in the European Union.” International Organization, 59(4):937–971.10.1017/CBO9780511618444.006Search in Google Scholar

Lewis, Jeffrey (2010) “How Institutional Environments Facilitate Co-operative Negotiation Styles in EU Decision-Making.” Journal of European Public Policy, 17(5):648–664.10.1080/13501761003748591Search in Google Scholar

McKibben, Heather Elko (2010) “Issue Characteristics, Issue Linkage, and States’ Choice of Bargaining Strategies in the European Union.” Journal of European Public Policy, 17(5):694–707. European Parliament Legislative Observatory (WWW), http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/home/home.do.10.1080/13501761003748682Search in Google Scholar

Pittella, Gianni, Alejo Vidal-Quadras and Georgios Papastamkos (2014) Activity Report on Codecision and Conciliation, 14 July 2009 – 30 June 2014 (7th parliamentary term), DV\1031024EN.doc.Search in Google Scholar

Powell, Walter W. and Paul J. DiMaggio (ed.) (1991) The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis. London: University of Chicago Press.10.7208/chicago/9780226185941.001.0001Search in Google Scholar

Rasmussen, Anne (2003) “The Role of the European Commission in Co-decision – A Strategic Facilitator Operating in a Situation of Structural Disadvantage.” European Integration Online Papers, 7(10):17.Search in Google Scholar

Reh, Christine, Adrienne Héritier, Edoardo Bressanelli and Christel Koop (2010) The Informal Politics of Legislation: Explaining Secluded Decision-Making in the European Union. Paper prepared for the APSA Annual Convention, Washington. European Council Documents Register (WWW), http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/ int?lang=PL&typ=ADV.10.1177/0010414011426415Search in Google Scholar

Riedel, Rafał (2014) Rotacyjna prezydencja Rady Unii Europejskiej po wejściu w życie Traktatu z Lizbony. Analiza ról prezydencji w okresie przejściowym. Opole: University of Opole Press.Search in Google Scholar

Risse, Thomas (2000) “Let’s Argue!”: Communicative Action in World Politics.” International Organization, 54(1):1–39.10.1162/002081800551109Search in Google Scholar

Schalk, Jelmer, René Torenvlied, Jeroen Weesie and Frans Stokman (2007) “The Power of the Presidency in EU Council Decision-Making.” European Union Politics, 8(2):229–250.10.1177/1465116507076431Search in Google Scholar

Tallberg, Jonas (2003) “The Agenda-Shaping Powers of the EU Council Presidency.” Journal of European Public Policy, 10(1):1–19.10.1080/1350176032000046903Search in Google Scholar

Thomson, Robert (2008) “The Council Presidency in the European Union: Responsibility with Power.” Journal of Common Market Studies, 46(3):593–617.10.1111/j.1468-5965.2008.00793.xSearch in Google Scholar

Tsebelis, George, Christian B. Jensen, Anastassios Kalandrakis and Amie Kreppel (2001) “Legislative Procedures in the European Union: An Empirical Analysis.” British Journal of Political Science, 31(4):573–599.10.1017/S0007123401000229Search in Google Scholar

Warntjen, Andreas (2010) “Between Bargaining and Deliberation: Decision-Making in the Council of the European Union.” Journal of European Public Policy, 17(5):665–679.10.1080/13501761003748641Search in Google Scholar

Published Online: 2018-6-2
Published in Print: 2018-4-25

©2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 29.4.2024 from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/wps-2018-0005/html
Scroll to top button