European Union and its Civil Society: A Neverending Search for Accountability
European Union and its Civil Society: A Neverending Search for Accountability

Summary/Abstract: Over the last ten years, while searching for additional sources of democratic legitimacy, the European Union (EU) has started to focus on its relationship with civil society. This article summarises the key points of two academic debates that focus on issues regarding civil society's inclusion in the European governance. The first part of this article examines the debate that developed in 2001 following the European Commission’s publication of its White Paper on European Governance. As a key document for administrative reform of the EU, the White paper granted civil society a leading role in providing more inclusive and accountable Union policy making. However, social experts heavily criticized this document claiming that, in reality, its proposals would not bring European civil society any closer to the EU governance. The heaviest criticism was targeted at the non-legally binding nature of the White Paper’s inclusion proposals. The article's second part examines how the issue of civil society's inclusion has been addressed in the ongoing European Constitutional debate. Here two principle streams of thought are highlighted. Advocates call for civil society’s constitutional inclusion, viewing it as a step forward in making the EU closer to its citizens. Sceptics object to such inclusion claiming that it would jeopardise civil society's social independence.

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