TY - JOUR
T1 - Belgian regional parliaments and the European Union
T2 - an analysis of parliamentary scrutiny in agricultural and environmental policies
AU - Randour, François
AU - Wolfs, Wouter
PY - 2017/4/3
Y1 - 2017/4/3
N2 - Drawing on qualitative case studies of two specific European decision-making processes in the agricultural and environmental sectors, this paper discusses how and why Belgian regional parliaments activated (or not) their control mechanisms to scrutinise their respective regional ministers. The findings show that parliamentary scrutiny of the agricultural and environmental policy fields has undergone a process of institutional and behavioural Europeanisation. Belgian regional parliaments rely mostly on classical parliamentary tools aimed at gathering information and, to a lesser extent, on constraining instruments aimed at influencing their government. Rather than trying to influence the EU negotiations, the MPs try to assess the potential impact of the reforms on their regional policy sectors. The findings also demonstrate that domestic media coverage and political salience of the EU negotiation associated with important implementing powers of regional parliaments have a positive effect on the level of scrutiny conducted by Belgian regional assemblies.
AB - Drawing on qualitative case studies of two specific European decision-making processes in the agricultural and environmental sectors, this paper discusses how and why Belgian regional parliaments activated (or not) their control mechanisms to scrutinise their respective regional ministers. The findings show that parliamentary scrutiny of the agricultural and environmental policy fields has undergone a process of institutional and behavioural Europeanisation. Belgian regional parliaments rely mostly on classical parliamentary tools aimed at gathering information and, to a lesser extent, on constraining instruments aimed at influencing their government. Rather than trying to influence the EU negotiations, the MPs try to assess the potential impact of the reforms on their regional policy sectors. The findings also demonstrate that domestic media coverage and political salience of the EU negotiation associated with important implementing powers of regional parliaments have a positive effect on the level of scrutiny conducted by Belgian regional assemblies.
KW - agricultural policy
KW - Common Agricultural Policy
KW - environmental policy
KW - European integration
KW - regional parliaments
KW - Subnational parliaments
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020165522&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13572334.2017.1329988
DO - 10.1080/13572334.2017.1329988
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85020165522
SN - 1357-2334
VL - 23
SP - 221
EP - 237
JO - Journal of Legislative Studies
JF - Journal of Legislative Studies
IS - 2
ER -