The White Paper on European Governance – Have Glasnost and Perestroika Finally Arrived to the European Union?
| Author | Adam Cygan |
| Date | 01 March 2002 |
| Published date | 01 March 2002 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.00376 |
REPORTS
The White Paper on European Governance – Have
Glasnost and Perestroika Finally Arrived to the
European Union?
Adam Cygan*
Introduction
The Commission’s White Paper examining options for reforming European
governance was published on 25 July 2001.1It is coincidental that the document
emerged within a month of the Irish ‘no’ vote in their referendum on the Nice
Treaty.2This makes the document all the more pertinent. The Commission seizes
upon the Irish decision as evidence that the White Paper raises issues that must be
addressed to counteract the apathy and resistance of European citizens to the
activities of the EU and to integration more generally. Whilst this may be true in
part, the Irish ‘no’ was not exclusively a reaction to the White Paper’s conclusions
that political procedures are at fault and require reform. Rather, the Irish decision
was more concerned with the actual direction and policy that the EU has adopted,
particularly with regard to the enlargement process.3
The White Paper comes at a crucial stage of EU integration. Enlargement and
political union are both key objectives for which the EU has set ambitious
deadlines to complete. Perhaps rather belatedly, the White Paper has recognised
that for these objectives to be successful, the Union must be more in tune with the
expectations of its citizens. For example, concepts such as citizenship need to be
given a more tangible meaning that enables EU citizens to feel as if they
themselves have a stake in the direction that the EU is taking. The Commission
President, Romano Prodi’s ongoing programme of reforms to combat fraud and
mismanagement are a welcome development and the White Paper is an integral
part of that reform process. The emphasis on participation through engaging with
civil society and a commitment to increased openness are both important
inclusions, though there is room for further improvement in these areas.
This White Paper is aimed not just at politicians, but at all who have a stake in
the EU. Ultimately this includes all EU citizens whose lives are affected by
European legislation, whether at their place of employment or if they are buying a
package holiday. The question that remains to be answered is whether the White
Paper will provide the necessary impetus for all levels of governance in the EU to
engage with citizens with regard to what role the EU should play in their lives. The
engagement with civil society is crucial but may not be enough. Apathy in the
ßThe Modern Law Review Limited 2002 (MLR 65:2, March). Published by Blackwell Publishers,
108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA. 229
* Centre for European Law and Integration, Faculty of Law, University of Leicester.
1 COM(2001) 428 European Governance – A White Paper.
2 The Irish Referendum took place on the 7 June 2001 with a result of 53.9% to 46.1% against
ratification of the Treaty. The turnout for the referendum was only 30%.
3 For an analysis of the Irish ‘no’ vote and its potential implications see House of Commons Research
Paper 01/57 The Irish Referendum on the Treaty of Nice available at < http://www.parliament.uk/
commons/lib/research/rp2001/rp01-057.pdf >.
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