The New Eurocrats: National Civil Servants in EU Policy-makingAmsterdam University Press, 2008 - 176 pages Policies in the EU are largely made by national civil servants who prepare and implement decisions in Brussels as well as at home. Despite their important role, these national civil servants form a relatively hidden world that has received little attention from both the media and academics. This volume considers a wide variety of sources and research methods to answer such questions as: how many civil servants are actually involved in EU-related activities? What do these civil servants do when they engage with the EU? And how do they negotiate their dual roles? The New Eurocrats offers unique and invaluable insight into these civil servants and their working practices—and uncovers some secrets in the world of EU governance along the way. |
Contents
Tables and Figures | 8 |
Acknowledgements | 11 |
Studying Eurocrats at work | 13 |
Toward a Europeanised civil service? A survey study | 31 |
Eurocratic work as strategic behaviour moving before the commission does in veterinary policy | 51 |
Getting things done in European police cooperation | 77 |
Bridge builder of bridgeheads in Brussels? The world of seconded national experts | 103 |
Understanding Eurocratic work conclusions and reflections | 129 |
Appendix | 151 |
Notes | 153 |
| 161 | |
About the authors | 171 |
| 173 | |
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Common terms and phrases
administration Affairs affected agencies agree Agriculture arenas become Brussels bureaucrats career chapter civil servants co-ordination colleagues Commission committee considered contacts Council countries deal decisions departmental departments direct discussed domestic Dutch EU-related activities Eurocratic European Europeanised expert expertise extent fact figures foreign formal former SNEs groups Hague implementation important included indicate individual influence institutions interest interviews involved issues knowledge less meetings Ministry national civil servants Netherlands networks noted observation officials operate organisations overall participation Permanent Pillar police co-operation policy-making political position practices preferences preparation present priority professional proposal question range rank regarding relations relatively reported Representation representatives respondents role secondment share shows signalling SNEs specific spent strategic survey Table tend tion types various