European Union Public Policy
Professor John Wilton
Lecture 2
Agenda-Setting : Role and purpose, EU political process, and the nature of agendas

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
Additional Sources:
Princen, S. (2007) ‘Agenda-setting in the E.U.: a theoretical exploration and agenda for research’,
Journal of European Public Policy, 14:1, pp.21-38.
Princen, S. (2011) “Agenda-setting strategies in E.U. policy processes’, in the Journal of European
Public Policy, Vol.18, no.7, pp.927-943.
Warleigh-Lack, A. and Drachenberg, R. (2011) ‘Spillover in a soft policy era? Evidence from the
Open Method of Co- ordination in education and training’, in the Journal of European Public Policy,
Vol.18, no.7, pp.999-1015

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
1. The place of agenda-setting in the policy process – its role and purpose
2. Agenda-setting as a political process – its distinctive aspect in the EU policy process
3. The nature of agendas – the social construction of policy issues
4.  Fragmentation
5.  Absence of effective policy co-ordination;
6.  Proto-Federalism

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
  1. The place of agenda-setting in the policy process
- key difference between EU and       individual states
- link between agenda-setting and   the EU integration process

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
2. Agenda-setting as a political process
a) the identification, determination         and clarification of the issue
b) the social and political construction          of the issue

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
3. The nature of agendas
- differing interpretations of issues,      agendas and policies
- danger of different forms of policy outcomes
- negative agenda-setting

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
3. The nature of agendas
- The pre-agenda process
- contending ideas
- advocacy
- learning, and knowledge of - information
- political debate
- political difference and/or agreement

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
3. The nature of agendas
- first stage of agenda-setting – social construction of the issue
- additional agenda ‘spillover’
- avoiding conflict between     national interests and EU interests in agenda-setting

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
  4. Fragmentation
a) the ‘barrier’ (the EU Commission)
b) opportunities – many ‘avenues’ and ‘ways in’ to the agenda-setting process

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
4. Fragmentation of EU Public Policy agenda-setting – due to:
a) the role, ambitions and interests of EU Commissioners;
b) the role, ambitions and interests of  Director-Generals;
c) the blurred boundaries and responsibilities of Director-Generals;
d) the interests of the Member States in the Council of Ministers;
e) The European Parliament ‘shadow committees’
f) The E.U. court system.

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
5. The absence of effective Public Policy
co-ordination
a) lack of political party cohesion
(720 MEPs, 8 officially recognised political groupings)
b) the influence of national policy styles and ‘policy’ cultures
(i.e. Commissioners and Directorate- Generals)

European Union Public Policy
Lecture 2
6. Proto-Federalism
- a divided territorial structure influences pattern of agenda-setting
- regional government structure developed = more territorial divided institutional EU bodies for
individuals and groups to push and argue own public policy agenda -provides multi-access to public
policy agenda – fragmentation or diversity? – good or bad?