Toward the European administrative space: the role of e-government policy

Abstract

The 'challenge of convergence' has become a core element of the European policy-making agenda. Many programs have been initiated by European institutions with a view to ensure uniformity in administrative actions and structures. In this article, we will investigate the formation of a 'European administrative space' as a result of a process of convergence toward a common European model, looking, in particular, at the role of communication and information technologies. As numerous policy documents produced by the European Commission indicate, new technologies have the potential to create administrative systems that are integrated across the European context in terms of their semantic, organizational, and technical content. We will pay close attention to the role of technological standardization in promoting economic development and competitiveness, as well as considering security policy as an example of 'homogenization through technology'.

Conceptualizing the European multilevel administrative order: capturing variation in the European administrative system

“…They basically examined degrees of convergence of co-ordination arrangements in EU member-states. Amoretti and Musilla (2011) have more recently showed how e-government tools create shared and integrated digital administrative architectures in Europe. Several examples along the ‘new governance’ research track could be added. ‘MLA II’: A second and more recent line of research, conceives of ‘MLA’ as featuring an emergent common administrative order in Europe through the development of new institutional constellations and configurations (Benz, 2015; Heidbreder, 2015).…”

“…They basically examined degrees of convergence of co-ordination arrangements in EU member-states. Amoretti and Musilla (2011) have more recently showed how e-government tools create shared and integrated digital administrative architectures in Europe. Several examples along the ‘new governance’ research track could be added.…”

Multilevel Policy Enforcement: Innovations in How to Administer Liberalized Global Markets

“…The strategy to virtually network decentralized member state units mirrors wider trends in the organization of EU public administration. As Amoretti and Musella point out, the Commission is developing a genuine e‐government policy which leads the authors to expect that ‘[t]he application of new information (IT) and communication technology generates systems of integrated and inter‐operable administration’ (Amoretti and Musella , p. 36). Although highlighted in the Single Market Act as a key instrument, the envisaged expansion of electronic coordination tools is not limited to market issues.…”