Transforming strategic interaction into deliberative problem-solving: European comitology in the foodstuffs sector

Abstract

The central argument of this contribution is that core institutional features of the European Community (EC) should be read as supranational versions of deliberationist ideals. After outlining a normative perspective for institutional innovations, we argue that deliberative supranationalism is already more than Utopia. We substantiate this claim by briefly outlining a deliberative supranationalist analysis of comitology in the foodstuffs sector. It is argued that comitology is indicative of the emergence of a deliberative style of European regulatory policy-making which aims at building up co-ordination capacities, establishing a culture of inter-administrative partnership, and creating conditions in which the organizations responsible for managing particular policies are able to meet emerging challenges. Emphasis therefore is placed on identifying areas of interdependence and common interest with the aim of ensuring the coherence and reliability of the European management network in the foodstuffs sector. This does not imply that interaction in comitology is identical with the normative ideal of deliberative supranationalism. It points out, however, that any analysis of the performance of supranational institutions needs to be conceptually open to the possibility that explaining the factual may need to rely on normative arguments.