Rediscovering Europe in the Netherlands - St Antony's College ...

ediscovering europe in the netherlands
sectoral ‘segments’, it is difficult to engage civil society organisations. This
presents an additional obstacle in the stimulation of these organisations to
integrate eu policy into their regular activities. The present situation,
where eu policy is at best a separate specialism within civil society organisations,
is thus difficult to change (Van den Berg and Brandsen 2007).
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Another consequence of sectoral segmentation is that there are dramatic
differences in the levels of involvement between different civil society
organisations with regard to eu policy. As a result, the involvement of civil
society in eu policy may not only be low, but extremely asymmetrical as
well. This asymmetry is exacerbated by the fact that the formal involvement
of organisations in policy in the Netherlands is highest in sectors
related to the welfare state, where the eu is of minor significance.
Conversely, the involvement of civil society organisations in national
policy is considerably lower in those sectors where Europe does play a
substantial role (Beyers 2002). This can give rise to a situation where civil
society organisations that have little influence within the national decision
making process increasingly use the new opportunities for influence
offered by Europe, in order to compensate for their lack of influence at the
national level (Fairbrass and Jordon 2001). However, this does have the
effect of limiting their role in the national decision making process.
All in all, a sense of reality and a tempering of excessively high expectations
is called for when considering the potential contribution of civil society
to eu policy legitimisation in the Netherlands. The logic of action of
civil society and its sectoral segmentation are major obstacles. Warnings
that too much should not be expected in terms of participation by civil
society actors geared towards eu policy legitimisation are therefore realistic
(Beyers 2002; Smismans 2006; Obradovic and Vizciano 2006).
5.3.2 opportunities even so?
Are there still opportunities for a greater role for civil society in eu policy
legitimisation in the Netherlands, despite these obstacles and constraints?
Is it possible that relevant initiatives could emerge from civil society itself?
In answering these questions, it is important to start by observing that
breaking down the sectoral ‘compartmentalisation’ presents a major challenge.
The key to change here, too, lies in civil society’s logic of action and
in the responses to that logic. Thus, it is important that civil society organisations
be encouraged to look beyond the limits of their own individual
sectors. This will only happen if those organisations see that their role in
looking after specific interests is facilitated by coalition formation with
other organisations or initiatives.