Delegation and accountability in European integration: the Nordic parliamentary democracies and the European Union

Book abstract:

This book analyses the effects of the European Union on national decision-making and the chain of delegation and accountability in five parliamentary democracies. The country studies present the most important changes that are taking place as Denmark, Finland and Sweden adapt to EU membership and Iceland and Norway participate in the European Economic Area (EEA). The analyses are based on a Principal-Agent perspective and the contributors show that a transfer of power from the national level to the supranational level does not necessarily mean that domestic delegation fails or that accountability is lost. Instead, the precise impact is assessed through empirical studies of Principal-Agent relationships.

In particular, six concrete findings are emphasised. First, the Nordic countries' adjustment to membership by making use of new control instruments, such as the European Affairs Committees, for consultations and agreements with the cabinet. Second, the Prime Minister and ministers involved in EU/EEA affairs have increased in power. Third, all cabinets have worked out new mechanisms to ensure co-ordination in European Affairs. Fourth, civil servants everywhere have become indispensable in European affairs. Fifth, most, if not all, of the procedures mentioned above have been based on an overriding goal to create decisions and policies reflecting national consensus or broad compromises. A sixth finding is also striking. This is the distinct difference between the EU and the EEA states with regard to the effects of delegation to supranational institutions.

This book will appeal to all those interested in the impact of the European Union on national level democracy in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Torbjörn Bergman is Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Political Science, Umeå University, Sweden. Erik Damgaard is Professor at the Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark.

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