Organizational structuring: the case of the European commision and its external policy responsibilities

Nugent, Neill and Saurugger, Sabine (2002) Organizational structuring: the case of the European commision and its external policy responsibilities. Journal of European public policy, 9 (3). pp. 345-364. ISSN 1466-4429

File not available for download.

Abstract

This article seeks to explain why the European Commission's structural arrangements for dealing with external policies have been subject to frequent changes in recent years. It is argued that the changes are to be explained not only in terms of the obvious factor - increases in the volume and scope of the Commission's external policy responsibilities - but also in terms of other, less noticed, factors. The most important of these other factors are the existence of different views over how organizational effectiveness and efficiency is best achieved, political and bureaucratic jostling, variations in the provision of internal leadership, and the appearance of 'windows of opportunity'.