Co-Managing Programme Implementation : Conceptualising the European Commission s Role in Policy Execution

Abstract

The article offers a concept for better understanding the role of the European Commission during the implementation phase of European policies. The aim is to address a deficit within the literature about the European Commission and European public policy-making. While our knowledge about the Commission s ability to set the agenda and to influence decision taking has continuously advanced, we lag behind in understanding the Commission s behaviour in policy implementation. In order to focus the link between the European Commission and national policy implementation, this article proposes a mechanism that explains Commission behaviour throughout policy execution on the basis of resource interdependencies. More precisely, it argues that the Commission has an intrinsic motivation to overcome informational asymmetries during policy execution in order to stabilise its ordinary functions in policy drafting and decision taking. The central theoretical argument is thus based on the vulnerability of the Commission stemming from the fact that it has no formal say in national policy execution. On the other hand, its supranational peers, in particular the Council, Parliament and the Court of Auditors, hold the Commission responsible for implementation deficiencies. In order to diminish that dilemma which occurs especially when European programmes stretch over repetitive policy cycles the Commission needs what is called Implementation Management Capacity (IMC).