The democratic legitimacy of the European Union has long been questioned and debated upon. In this essay we will consider the role of interest representation and discuss whether or not it aids or demoralizes the ideals of democracy. In order to fully investigate this question we will first need to understand the concept of 'democracy' in the European Union, touch on the well known arguments denouncing the claims of European democracy and also comprehend what is meant by interest representation.
We will then look at how interest representation in the EU functions and analyze the after effects that it has on democracies in the EU. An important point of discussion will be analyzing where interest representation is focused and if it can alleviate the so called democratic deficit created by some of the EU's main institutional bodies. This democratic deficit charges the European Union with a lack of democratic legitimacy, by stating that the institutions which wield power (mainly the Commission and the Councils) are unelected bodies, and thus their formation results in power that has no legitimate source. We will also determine if interest representation can counterbalance these claims.
[...] interest groups relationships with specific European Union institutions, and the resulting outcomes for democracy). Interest groups can not have a direct influence on the Council of Ministers or the European Council, for numerous reasons which are not important to discuss here. Lobbying to these bodies must be done through other ways, and the path that interest groups pick, if they are committed to influencing these EU bodies, is the national level (the Council of Ministers and European Council are not so sought after). [...]
[...] So, from this evidence, interest representation can be said to enhance democracy in the EU just by its attempt to distribute information from the EU to its citizens. On top of this, interest representation groups aim (as their name implies) to represent the interests of a certain group or groups of people. This process seemingly enhances democracy in the EU, but on a closer inspection, things are not so cut and dry, as we will see. How, then, do interest representation groups lobby in the European Union? Where do they focus their attention? Is this process of lobbying depleting democracy or helping it to flourish? [...]
[...] Interest groups are usually not well founded and do not have an accountable structure. If interest groups themselves are not democratic, with what reasoning do we expect them to enhance democracy in the EU? Interest representation groups such as COPA(10) and ETUC (the European Trade Union Congress) do have a structure (albeit with appointed positions) and so transparency and accountability can trickle down however these are in fact a very small minority and are not even elected themselves. We must not fall into the trap of replacing one lack of democracy with another. [...]
[...] National interest (or 'pressure') groups also have the power to lobby at the national level. Euro groups: There are upwards of 700 euro groups in the European Union, examples of which are COPA (see above) and UNICE (Union of Industrial and Employers Confederation of Europe). These groups are some of the most important and will be focused on in this essay(2). With the large amount of national and euro groups and the large number of European citizens who make up their membership, interest groups do enhance democracy by offering people a way to become more involved in the political process at a national or a European level. [...]
[...] Footnotes: 1 Page 1('Introduction') of 'Democracy & Elections', by V. Bogdanor 2 All information on types of interest groups taken from 'The Government & Politics of the Nugent, pages 280- Quote from 'The Government & Politics of the Nugent, page 282, third sentence of the first complete paragraph Quote from 'The Government & Politics of the Nugent, page 284, second sentence of the last paragraph Quoted from 'The Government & Politics of the European Union', Nugent, page 286, first sentence (continued from previous page) 'The Government & Politics of the European Union', Nugent, page Information from http://www.apc.org/english/rights/europe/eu/eurolob.html, at the bottom of the page Figures from http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-117482-16&type=LinksDossier 9 'The Government & Politics of the European Union', Nugent, page 'The Government & Politics of the European Union', Nugent, page 285 figure Taken from the Europa website (near the bottom of the page), see bibliography for the exact URL. [...]
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