European Governance and Democracy - What Prospects, Opportunities and Threats
November 14^th - 15^th 2002, Brussels, Belgium

Programme

This seminar is concerned with the future of European institutions, governance and democracy. In search of legitimacy for the project of integration, the European Union has been seeking to address the democratic deficit of its own institutions as well as that of the structures of collaboration with national and regional institutional frameworks. In doing this it has been calling for both accountability and transparency as well as openness in decision-making towards greater citizen consultation and participation.

How seriously meant are these calls and what are the prospects of the pronounced reforms, including of the European convention? Which democratic model is most appropriate for Europe? What are successful models of citizen consultation and/or participation in a multi-lingual and diverse context? What forms of representation are compatible with active citizenship?

These are some of the questions addressed by this seminar which is organised by the EUROPUB project of the Fifth Framework Programme. Besides presenting the EUROPUB project, the seminar aims to bring together scholars working in the field for the exchange of views and expertise and the joint reflection on policy and research strategies concerning the European public space.

14th November 2002

Session 1 (14:00 – 16:00)
Conceptions of the European polity, European democracy, governance and the European public sphere
Chair: Ronald J. Pohoryles

Drafting a European Constitution: Challenges and Opportunities
Andreas Føllesdal

Normative Theory and the European Union: Legitimising the Euro ‘Polity’ and its ‘Regime’
Richard Bellamy and Dario Castiglione

Governance Approaches building on Science and Technology Studies
Moses Bodourides

Features of the European Public Sphere and a Model for European Democracy.
John Crowley

Session 2 (16:15 – 18:15)
European democracy,  institutional change and political communication
Chair: Angela Liberatore or Liana Giorgi

Substantive Democracy and Institutional Change: The Paradox of Co-decision
Alex Warleigh

European Political Parties and European Citizens
Stephen Day

Public Sphere Ethos and the Civil Service Class
Martin Peterson

Towards a European Public Sphere? Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions of  Europeanised Political Communication
Ruud Koopmans and Jessica Erbe

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15th November 2002

Session 3 (09.30 – 11.00)
Chair: Michal Illner

Presentation of the EUROPUB Project
Liana Giorgi

Presentation of the 6th Framework Programme
Angela Liberatore or Aris Apollonatos

Session 4 (11.15 – 13.00)
Democracy in practice
Chair: John Crowley

Corporate Management, Social Legislation and Governance
Giusto Barisi

Citizens in Pension Reform: An Experiment with Micro-Scale Deliberation in Four National Contexts
Stephen Ney, Claire Mays and Joanne Bayer

Regional Reforms in Sweden and Citizen Participation
K.G. Hammarlund

Session 5 (14:00 – 16:00)
Challenges of Democracy
Chair: Ingmar von Homeyer

Anti-globalisation Movements and the European Agenda
Elise Feron

Testing Democracy at the Extremes – The ‘Austrian’ Case
Niki Rodousakis

Challenges to Democracy; The EU’s Response to Balancing the Internal Security Agenda with Openness and Transparency
Juliet Lodge

Internet: A New Potential for European Political Communication
Ruud Koopmans and Ann Zimmermann