Appendix: Research method and interview data
| Pages | 300-304 |
| Author | Melanie Smith |
Appendix: Research method and
interview data
The primary research method employed in this study has been
examination and analysis of primary and secondary documentary material.
This has been complemented by conducting elite interviews. The primary
research material consists of a broad spectrum of documents sourced from
the actors involved in the enforcement mechanism. In order to evaluate the
appropriate legal context, I have analysed the approach of the European
courts, including where appropriate specific judgments of the courts. The
political context, and in particular the normative initiative of good
governance in the Union, is analysed with particular reference to the
Commission’s White Paper on Governance and the subsequent
Communications on ‘Better Monitoring’ and ‘A Europe of Results’. The
Commission’s Communications and Annual Monitoring Reports provide
useful information on the Commission’s approach to monitoring. However,
this primary research material is necessarily one-sided as it presents Article
226 from the perspective of the Commission alone. In order to uncover
another perspective on the role of Article 226, the Annual Reports and
Decisions of the European Ombudsman, together with Reports from the
European Parliament, have also been analysed.
In addition, elite interviews have been conducted in relation to the
institutional actors involved in the enforcement mechanism. This includes
Commission officials, the European Ombudsman and his staff as well as
staff of the European Parliament. Interviews with Commission staff were
conducted on the basis that they remain absolutely anonymous. In order to
preserve the confidentiality of those who agreed to be interviewed, where
requested by the interviewee, the generic title ‘Commission Official A’ and
so on and the date they were interviewed is the method used to identify the
source. A list of the questions and a breakdown of all interview data can be
found below.
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