Soft Governance, Agile Union? Analysis of the Extensions of Open Coordination in 2000. EIPA Paper: 18.IV-2001

Abstract

This is a study of the open method of coordination of European Union policies. Open coordination is studied here as a "soft" method of European policy-making from the perspective of European governance and related networks. The method’s first field of application were the European employment policies. The 2000 European Councils expanded the method to several new policy fields. The Commission’s policy plans imply further expansions of the method. It is possible to analyse aspects of the method right now and to spell out its first evaluations. However, it is necessary to elaborate upon the analyses and expand the evaluations while the method’s applications mature and while the method covers further policy fields.