1,720,978 research outputs found
Lisbon Treaty and the Possibility of a European Network Demoi-cracy
Get PDFThe paper discusses the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM) to be introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, the
incentives of the national parliaments to use it and the limited opportunity it opens for bringing Europe
closer to its citizens. It is suggested that the EWM provides Europe with a chance to develop a
transnational network of public spheres and to become a demoi-cracy.
Regardless of the success of the EWM as an institutional means to bring to that end, the author argues
that the creation of a network democracy (post-national instead of supra-national democracy) is the
only available road for democratisation of the EU anyway, because only it does not depend on forged
common identity or solidarity. In doing this, the paper draws from the earlier books of Habermas and
argues with his own latter writings
Public participation in the marine spatial planning process : lessons learned from theoretical, legal, and empirical perspectives
Get PDFPublic participation is a crucial component in environmental decision-making. The accepted wisdom is that participatory decision-making is a good thing. However, there is no single solution for designing and implementing public participation. The participation pattern in the marine planning context should be different from those applied in other decision-making processes in order to address the particular challenges and demands of marine management. Few studies have focused on public participation in marine planning, especially in the English marine planning context. This thesis fills this knowledge gap by studying public participation in English marine planning from theoretical, legal and empirical perspectives.This thesis addresses three research questions. First, what is the appropriate participation strategy for English marine planning? Second, to what extent does the current legal regime ensure effective public participation in marine planning and other marine-related decision-making? Third, how have the requirements for participation been implemented in marine planning practices?To investigate these questions, this thesis constructs a pluralist rationale for participation, including normative, substantive and instrumental dimensions, which fits the English marine planning context. The appropriate strategy for participation is identified. This strategy will contribute to fulfil the pluralist rationale for participation in marine planning process. The thesis also reviews the relevant legal framework at the international and domestic levels, to examine to what extent these legal regimes can support the implementation of public participation in the marine decision-making context. Finally, as a qualitative case study, the process and outcome of participation in producing the English East Inshore and Offshore Marine Plans are evaluated to reveal the deficiencies regarding participation in the English marine planning regime
Public participation in the marine spatial planning process : lessons learned from theoretical, legal, and empirical perspectives
Get PDFPublic participation is a crucial component in environmental decision-making. The accepted wisdom is that participatory decision-making is a good thing. However, there is no single solution for designing and implementing public participation. The participation pattern in the marine planning context should be different from those applied in other decision-making processes in order to address the particular challenges and demands of marine management. Few studies have focused on public participation in marine planning, especially in the English marine planning context. This thesis fills this knowledge gap by studying public participation in English marine planning from theoretical, legal and empirical perspectives.This thesis addresses three research questions. First, what is the appropriate participation strategy for English marine planning? Second, to what extent does the current legal regime ensure effective public participation in marine planning and other marine-related decision-making? Third, how have the requirements for participation been implemented in marine planning practices?To investigate these questions, this thesis constructs a pluralist rationale for participation, including normative, substantive and instrumental dimensions, which fits the English marine planning context. The appropriate strategy for participation is identified. This strategy will contribute to fulfil the pluralist rationale for participation in marine planning process. The thesis also reviews the relevant legal framework at the international and domestic levels, to examine to what extent these legal regimes can support the implementation of public participation in the marine decision-making context. Finally, as a qualitative case study, the process and outcome of participation in producing the English East Inshore and Offshore Marine Plans are evaluated to reveal the deficiencies regarding participation in the English marine planning regime
The state of citizenship in Bulgaria
No full textThis report discusses the recent citizenship changes in Bulgaria. It explores the main developments in citizenship law, internationalisation, demographic changes, and current debates and reform plans regarding citizenship policy.Research for the 2024/2025 GLOBALCIT Reports has been supported by the European University Institute's Global Governance Programme, the EUI's Research Council, and the British Academy Research Project CITMODES (co-directed by the EUI and the University of Edinburgh). This activity is co-funded by the EUI Widening Europe Programme. The EUI Widening Europe Programme (https://www.eui.eu/en/public/widening-europe-programme), backed by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States, is designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in Widening countries, and thus foster a more cohesive European Higher Education and Research Area
Book review : Leviathans Welcome! : C. List & P. Pettit, Group Agency : The Possibility, Design and Status of Group Agents (Oxford University Press, 2011)
Get PDFPublished online: 17 July 201
Portrait of the EU as a Rational Man: Collective reason and democratic deficit
Get PDFIn the present paper I take a critical view on the well-known discursive dilemma which captures the difference between governance by collective reasoning or governance responsive to majoritarian will. Then I suggest the republican concept of collective reason as a new perspective for study of EU and analyse the European Union as an example of a system which collectivises reason. From such perspective the notorious democratic deficit is explainable as the contradiction between collective reason and popular will. This problem brings home the conclusion that neither collectivising reason nor responsiveness to majority will alone can fully satisfy our normative demands. Thus, I claim that it is necessary to find a way out of the dilemma by a decision-making process that can bring about the two solutions in the same time. I suggest that in polities where people (as individuals) identify with the people (as a group) the gap is closed by a stepwise process of deliberation in the public sphere. Paneuropean deliberation is possible solution for Europe but in practice is obstructed by the competition from the spontaneous deliberation in the existing national public spheres. The latter are more robust, so they close the rationality gaps faster at national level; national public opinions tend to polarise and defend a ‘national’ interest against further deliberative challenges. I argue that the notion of competition is useful to explain why despite the development of the common democratic institutions at EU level and the emergence of weak European public, the deficit is bound to persist
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