Accountability and Multi-Level Governance

Abstract

Multi-level governance structures are mushrooming in the European Union to the extent that some nowadays speak of a European administrative ‘space’ (Hofmann, 2008; Egeberg and Trondal, 2009). Next to comitology, through which 2,000 to 2,500 measures are adopted each and every year, there is also a wide range of other, sometimes called ‘new’ administrative arrangements that include a fusion of both national- and European-level administrators. These include, for instance, national agencies and regulators allying together in networks that bypass national governments, sometimes under the auspices of the Commission; national experts, civil servants and more stakeholders who provide input to the Commission through its expert groups or open coordination systems; and member state civil servants preparing Council negotiations in its many working parties.