European Institutions and The Policy Discourse of Organised Civil Society

1. European Institutions and The Policy Discourse of Organised Civil Society Comparing Discourses of Civil Society Actors and EU Institutions in three policy sectors Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

2. Three movement advocacy coalitions • This presentation will concentrate on the policy discourse of three social movement-inspired advocacy coalitions: environmentalism, anti-racism and regionalism. They are among the most influential in their activity of lobbying European institutions. • Understanding what are the themes stressed by these coalitions and by EU institutions helps to clarify their relations, and the impact of their advocacy efforts. • There is a dialogue in progress between the main policy ideas of certain social movements and institutional frameworks. I will document this dialogue in three policy areas and therefore examine the discursive connections between movements and Institutions. Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

3. Environmentalism, Anti-racism, Regionalism • The environmental coalition operates in one of the most successful EU-level policy area in which it had a significant influence • With the Amsterdam Treaty a solid legal basis was provided to anti-racism by article 13. Since then, a set of initiatives has emerged at EU level • Since the seventies ethno-regionalist movements have re-emerged in Europe. The process of regionalisation under way in all the large member-states has given greater legitimacy to regionalism. Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

4. Civil Society, MACs and policy discourse • The three movement families attempt to exert influence in broad advocacy coalitions (MACs) that constitute the EU-level voice of organized civil society. They differ greatly in terms of policy impact. • Influence depends from multiple variables such as the type of legal base, structure of policy networks, interests mobilised, etc. • I will only concentrate on one such variables: the compatibility of policy discourse between MAC and institutions Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

5. Frame analysis • The methodology of frame analysis of policy documents responded to the need to examine systematically the relationship between the policy agenda advocated by MACs and the EU agenda • This methodology attempts to identify and classify recurrent concepts in policy documents and to relate them to specific kinds of actors • This analysis focused on identifying aspirations, examining the perception of problems to be addressed by policies and the criticism of actors involved in the policy process and of normative political principles with a guiding impact on policy making. Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

6. Research Techniques • A team of six content analysts read a selection of policy documents and scored them • The document sources utilised included web presentation pages of relevant institutions, Commission’s programmatic action plans and institutional evaluations of action plans • For OCS the primary materials consisted of: reactions to EU action plans by EU networks and self-presentation documents • Scorers identified and counted recurrent concepts Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

7. Findings • The findings include: • the identification of the dominant frames • the internal composition of the frames identified • the relations among frames, which have been analysed • across sectors and • types of actors Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

8. Common Codes • Even if there are internal differences, both EU and OCS concur in stressing the importance of • improving implementation of policies, improving knowledge with the help of OCS, • the importance of horizontal diffusion of policies and • the general importance of civil society Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

9. The meaning of civil society for Institutions • Institutions stress the information-providing role of OCS • Contribution to policy deliberation • Connections with marginalised sectors of the EU population and ability to represent them • Communication potential and implications for the implementation of policies • Counterbalancing business dominance • In brief: support for both vertical and horizontal governance Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento

10. The meaning of civil society for OCS • OCS shares the views of Institutions • In addition it demands greater accessibility • It criticises the Commission for insufficient attention and for being pro-business biased • It advocates a stronger state Carlo Ruzza - University of Trento