More specifically papers are invited in one of the following themes:

Session 1: “Multi-level governance: theory and practice”

The concept of Multi-Level Governance (MLG) has been proposed as a useful concept to understand some of the decision-making dynamics within the European Union. It has been applied to an increasing number of policy areas (not only regional policy, but also environmental policy) and different settings (not just within the European Union, but also in the wider international context), and the number of scholars using it has veritably exploded.

The concept of MLG proved useful to address a wide range of questions about the working of European institutions and inter-institutional dynamics, the new opportunities for sub-national actors and civil society organisations. The term has aptly provided a descriptor for a set of phenomena which would have been, otherwise, unnamed. As such, it has been deemed as a useful “heuristic” concept: a concept which allows us to see developments which challenge our conventional wisdom about the nature of current decision-making processes and the location and the wielding of authoritative power.

This session would like to bring together a group of scholars who, in their respective fields of expertise, have tried to assess the magnitude and the depth of the changes brought about by MLG in the ways in which authoritative decisions are made, participation is elicited, representativeness is ensured, efficacy is pursued and legitimacy is sought.

Session 2: “Mythologizing the European Union”

Like all polities, the European Union has had to construct a mythology to mobilise support, legitimize political rule and provide a sense of purpose for a structure that increasingly governs large parts of the lives of close to 500 million citizens. However, the EU is distinct in that it does not have many of founding myths that have been part of the national state experience and, more importantly, its mythology might even be in competition with the latter. In addition, the construction and narration of the EU’s mythology is in the hands of a range of actors, from the Commission to civil society organizations to the member states themselves.

The aim of this session is to examine the interaction between the creation of European myths at the European level, and their narration at the national level. It will focus on a select group of foundational myths that have been central to the European project: democratic Europe; peaceful Europe; social Europe; liberal Europe; green Europe; a Europe of regions; gender equality. The conference (and subsequent publications) would be structured around these themes, with contributions looking at both the European construction (who are the actors, what are the discursive arenas, what are the discursive practices…) and how these are then narrated in national settings (who are the actors, what are the discursive arenas, what are the discursive practices…). The central question to be explored is whether there is a disjuncture between the European construction and the national narration of these myths, and what might be its source. Clearly, not all national cases can be considered but select cases appropriate to theme being discussed will be examined. For instance, in the case of democratic Europe, one or more of the recent enlargement countries would seem appropriate.
 

Session 3: “Social Movements, Civil Society and the European Union”

Social movements and public interest groups are becoming increasingly prominent actors at EU level. The literature highlights that over recent decades many social movements groups underwent processes of professionalization and institutionalization, which have put them in collaborative but also competitive relations with public interest groups and other advocacy-oriented organizations. This has lead to the formation of mixed advocacy coalitions, and to the emergence of articulated action repertoires and complex relations with policy makers. We are interested in assessing the contribution of social movements and social movement-related advocacy coalitions to policy making at EU level.  

This section will therefore explore the discourse, political opportunities, action repertoires and outcomes of social movements at EU level. We will focus both on textual analysis of the production of social movements in their attempt to shape EU policy and on examinations of policy events that have attracted significant efforts from social movement groups and public interest groups with a social movement back ground such as the women movement, environmental movement and consumer movement.  It will also explore variables that orient the choices of action repertoires.

To submit a paper

If you wish to present a paper at the conference, please submit an abstract to Carlo Ruzza cinefogo@soc.unitn.it  by 10th November.

Selected participants are expected to present a draft of a paper that will be the preliminary draft for a special issue of a journal or an edited volume.
Where

The conference will take place in Brussels on 25-26 January 2008.

Detailed information on venues will be provided to selected participants by the end of November.

 Costs

The conference will be free for paper-givers and for members of the CINEFOGO Network of Excellence. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by each individual participant.