Inter-institutional decision-making: The case of the Common Agricultural Policy

The dominant portrayal of the policy process around the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) emphasises a system of inter-governmental bargaining, close links between institutions and farming interests, and compartmentalised closed policy networks. This article considers how inter-institutional relationships might be reshaped by the extension of 'co-decision' powers to the European Parliament in the Lisbon Treaty. This raises the possibility that policy proposals and outcomes may increasingly reflect the participation of a broader range of actors and interests. Using four scenarios that reflect different institutional configurations, a preliminary analysis of the 2011 dairy regime proposals (the 'Milk Package') is used to draw some conclusions about whether the agricultural policy agenda is likely to be broadened through de-compartmentalisation, leading to a more fluid policy arena characterised by more actors with conflicting values. © 2012 Policy and Society Associates (APSS)

Taming trilogues: the EU's law-making process in a comparative perspective.

Trilogues have become the modus operandi of EU decision-making. They are an informal but institutionalised mechanism providing for in camera discussions of legislative texts between the three main EU decision-making institutions, with a view to securing legislative compromises. Trilogues present risks to an organ of parliamentary representation through their potential to depoliticise conflict and by reducing the accountability and transparency of the decision-making process. We examine how the European Parliament (EP) has responded to trilogues and what this response tells us about the development of the EP as an institutionalised organ of representative democracy. We compare these with arrangements for bicameral conflict resolution in the United States, where similar issues are presented by informal mechanisms of decision-making. We assess the institutionalisation of trilogues from a democratic perspective, highlighting achievements and future challenges, and the value of these findings for the ongoing reflection on the EP as a normal parliament and the role of informal institutions in EU law-making

Agri-Food Policy

none1noAgri-food policy is a privileged field of study that can further the analytical knowledge of interest group politics, government and interest group relations, and lobbying strategies in a changing policy domain. Agri-food policies are designed to support and influence the operations around production, processing, and consumption of food, and a significant public intervention is dedicated to this peculiar policy domain. Studies on agricultural exceptionalism reveal state interventionism in past national policies, the special treatment given to the sector and the privileged position reserved for agricultural interests. Powerful farmers’ groups and dedicated institutions in compartmentalized policymaking developed special relationships: in different contexts, iron triangles, close policy communities, or corporatist alliances emerged and differently consolidated the state-assisted policy paradigm. Since the 1980s, trade liberalization and budget constraints have defined new agendas for governments. Structural changes in agriculture, fragmented agricultural interests, and criticism for overproduction and environmental externalities, facilitated state retrenchment and the spread of neo-liberal policy paradigms. Different policy networks have emerged and a wider range of interests – commodities groups, organic farmers, food processors, retailers – have lobbied governments and international organizations. New interests related to food, consumerism, the environment, and conservationism have mobilized, playing an outsider role in the policy process. Studies on the post-exceptionalism of agri-food policies highlight the pluralism of interests and the politicization of issues in national and supranational arenas. In the transnational policy space, governments and agricultural interest groups remain relevant players among many other actors, such as retailer chains and corporations, international organizations, and alternative agri-food movements.mixedLizzi R.Lizzi R