Comparative Agendas

Agenda Formation Perspective on the European Council

In an article in the Journal of Common Market Studies, Marcello Carammia, Sebastiaan Princen and Arco Timmermans review the key role of the European Council in the EU's institutional architecture. They argue that an analysis of agenda formation dynamics in the European Council may help us understand better how the body works and how its role has evolved over time. Building on theories of agenda setting, two ideal-typical modes of agenda formation are identified: selective targeting and routine monitoring. Based on the comprehensive dataset of coded European Council Conclusions in the period 1975–2011, they show that the substantive content of the European Council agenda changes little over time. However, in terms of agenda formation dynamics, a marked shift toward routine monitoring of issues is found. This supports the claim that the European Council is developing into the EU's de facto government.

Marcello Carammia, Sebastiaan Princen and Arco Timmermans. (2016). From Summitry to EU Government: An Agenda Formation Perspective on the European Council. Journal of Common Market Studies 54 (4): 809–825.

European Union

Agenda Formation Perspective on the European Council