Suchergebnisse

This contribution concludes the volume by summarizing the major findings & assessing their broader implications. We briefly review the individual findings of each paper, observing that they collectively reinforce the importance of the subject of unelected legislators in the EU while also pointing to the complex & multiform nature of the phenomenon. We thus go on to argue that many of the unelected legislators identified here ought to become more central to EU studies than has traditionally been the case; that understanding their role may often be more important to understanding policy making than knowledge of formal institutional structures; but that the prevalence of unelected legislators does not necessarily carry the negative normative implications for the EU that simplistic understandings of the legislative process might suggest. Adapted from the source document.

This paper begins the volume by introducing the subject of unelected legislators in the European Union. We first explore alternative theories of how legislation is passed in democratic polities, explaining why simple notions that all legislation should be the responsibility of elected representatives are unrealistic & possibly even undesirable. We then outline both the complexities & the importance of the legislative process in the EU, explaining the major types & sources of law. Finally, we preview the following contributions to the volume, indicating how they contribute to the examination of our general theme. 1 Figure. Adapted from the source document.