The Two Logics of Multilevel Administration in the EU

Abstract

The recent ‘public administration turn’ (Trondal, 2007) in European Union (EU) studies has not only produced an overwhelming richness of empirical studies on individual organizations such as the European Commission, regulatory agencies, and various types of committees, more importantly it has created an inspiring perspective on the administrative system of the EU (see in particular Egeberg, 2006; Ellinas and Suleiman, 2008, 2012; Hof mann and Türk, 2006; Trondal, 2010). As a result of intensified integration, we are witnessing the emergence of a new form of compound ‘executive order’ in Europe, which integrates various types of supranational, national, and subnational organizations (Trondal, 2010). The new research perspective of fers a comprehensive view of the EU’s administrative system and allows key questions in the field of public administration to be addressed in an innovative way. This pertains to the structuring of the ‘administrative space’ (Olsen, 2003) within the EU, its internal conflicts and dynamics, its external environment and demands, its effectiveness and efficiency, and its accountability and legitimacy.