European Union Public Policy
Professor John Wilton
Lecture 4
Agenda-Setting 2: fragmentation and the absence of effective policy co-ordination

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
Four areas of the agenda-setting process in EU Public Policy influenced by the features of E.U.
institutions:
1.Fragmentation
2.Absence of effective policy co-ordination;
3.Proto-Federalism;
4.‘Winners and losers’

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
  1. Fragmentation
a) the ‘barrier’ (the EU Commission)
b) opportunities – many ‘avenues’ and ‘ways in’ to the agenda-setting process

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
1. Fragmentation of EU Public Policy agenda-setting – due to:
a) the role, ambitions and interests of EU Commissioners;
b) the role, ambitions and interests of  Director-Generals;
c) the blurred boundaries and responsibilities of Director-Generals;
d) the interests of the Member States in the Council of Ministers;
e) The European Parliament ‘shadow committees’
f) The E.U. court system.

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
2. The absence of effective Public Policy
co-ordination
a) lack of political party cohesion;
b) the influence of national policy styles and ‘policy’ cultures
- an ‘institutionalisation’ problem

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
2. The absence of effective Public Policy
co-ordination
a)A lack of cohesive political party units at EU level;
b)The variety of national styles and cultures found in E.U. Commissioners;
c)The variety of national styles and cultures found in the Director-Generals;
d)The lack of institutionalisation of the EU policy bureaucracy

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
3. Proto-Federalism
- a divided territorial structure influences pattern of agenda-setting
- regional government structure developed
= more territorial institutional EU bodies for individuals and groups to push and argue own public
policy agenda

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
3. Proto-Federalism
- agenda-setting as also about definition of issue (i.e. how issue defined once it makes it on to
the agenda)
- public policy issues shaped through complex social and political processes and influences
(different national policy styles and cultures)

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
3. Proto-Federalism
a)Divided territorial structure of E.U. (including Regional govt.) provides multi-access to public
policy agenda – fragmentation or diversity?
b)Variety of ‘national’ public policy styles provide an agenda of range of public policy
alternatives

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
4. ‘Winners and losers’
- EU institutions create ‘winners and losers’ in EU public policy agenda-setting.
- ‘distributive’ policies more easily accepted on to public policy agenda = ‘winners’
- policies that advantage groups, regions or states at expense of others in E.U. are more difficult
to get accepted on to public policy agenda = ‘losers’

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 4
Summary:
1.The fragmentation of E.U. institutions and diverse territorial representation offers many
different points of access to the public policy agenda – provides a range of public policy
alternatives and issues competing to get on agenda
2. Variation and range of points of access (fragmentation) in E.U. public policy agenda-setting is
totally opposite to E.U. public policy implementation process