Taking Control? Administrative Capacity-building in the European Parliament

In contrast to most national parliaments, the European Parliament has consistently strengthened its position over the years. It has adapted its internal organization in order to maximize its influence over EU decision-making. In this respect, scholars have extensively examined the political organization of the EP, but our knowledge about the administrative organization is much more limited. However, studies have shown that administrative capacity is of vital importance for the overall strength of a parliament. This research project will provide insight into how the European Parliament has reorganized the policy capacity of its administration. More specifically, the project will examine the strategies of the EP leadership regarding the reorganization of the administrative policy capacity, and what effect the reorganization has had on the level of policy capacity. The project will unravel the “black box” of internal decision-making on the administrative organization. As such, the project fills a gap in both the literature on the European Parliament and the study of policy capacity.

Keywords:European Parliament, policy capacity, administrative organisation, legislative studies

Disciplines:European union politics