Shaping European Law and Policy: The Role of Committees and Comitology in the Political Process

In collaboration with the European Centre for Public Affairs, Templeton College, Oxford
Committees are an essential part of the functioning of modern governance. Some are official, whilst others are unofficial or even ad hoc. In various guises, they are active at every stage of the European political process �" assisting the Commission in drafting legislation, preparing the dossiers on which the Council takes decisions and supervising the implementation of EC law by the Commission. Since committees play such a key role, a firm grasp of their functioning and influence is essential if one is to understand fully the EC policy process.
Comitology is the term generally used to refer to the implementation committees, although it is sometimes extended to include all committees. The very word 'comitology' suggests something secretive, the preserve of the initiated. Indeed, there is even uncertainty as to how many of these committees are actually at work; only some 300 of an estimated 1,000 are listed in the Community Budget.
This volume aims to shed some light on the rather opaque nature, role and influence of these committees, an area which until now has received surprisingly little attention. It comprises revised versions of papers presented at a workshop held in Maastricht, in December 1995, which was sponsored jointly by the European Centre for Public Affairs, Templeton College, Oxford, and the European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht.