People Who Run Europe
Edward C. Page
Abstract
In the minds of many, Brussels is very closely associated with bureaucracy. Yet we know little about the character of the European Union's bureaucracy. This book draws upon a wide range of empirical sources to present a picture of the administrative system of the EU. It discusses the complexities of its internal organization and goes on to explore the people who work in it. As a multinational organization its procedures for appointment and promotion reflect in part the need to maintain a professional career civil service and in part the desire to secure a fair mix of nationalities among top of ... More
In the minds of many, Brussels is very closely associated with bureaucracy. Yet we know little about the character of the European Union's bureaucracy. This book draws upon a wide range of empirical sources to present a picture of the administrative system of the EU. It discusses the complexities of its internal organization and goes on to explore the people who work in it. As a multinational organization its procedures for appointment and promotion reflect in part the need to maintain a professional career civil service and in part the desire to secure a fair mix of nationalities among top officials. This book looks at the distinctive features of the administrative system which these two principles help to produce as well as at the nature of the people — their backgrounds, careers, and skills — who are attracted to it. The book also examines the role of top officials in the decision making process, above all in their dealings with politicians and interest groups.
Keywords:
Brussels,
bureaucracy,
European Union,
civil service,
administrative system,
officials,
politicians,
interest groups
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 1996 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780198280798 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: October 2011 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198280798.001.0001 |
