Abstract

Closing the gap between the EU and its citizens, and increasing the levels of involvement and participation has been high up on the Commission’s agenda for the last fifteen years, but a common European public sphere (EPS), in which a dialogue takes place between the Commission and its citizens, is nevertheless still a long way off. This article looks at what efforts the Commission is taking to facilitate such a direct dialogue. These efforts are illustrated based on a case study analysis of the public consultation the Commission organised for the launch of Europe 2020. Our article begins by discussing, based on a policydocument analysis and several semi-structured elite interviews, the evolution of the Commission’s communication policy and the changing underpinning logics of this policy, before then going into detail about the Europe 2020 case. Our case study analysis, using seven evaluation criteria, clearly illustrates different shortcomings in the way the Commission approaches the creation of a heterogeneous, inclusive forum in which people can discuss and contribute to the shaping of EU-policymaking.

How to Cite:

Van Brussel, A. & Huyst, P., (2011) “De Europese publieke sfeer: dovemansgesprek of dialoog tussen de Europese Commissie en haar burgers?”, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 32(3-4), 355–386. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sociologos.86782