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European Policymaking: An Agency-Theoretic Analysis of the Issue

Author

Listed:
  • Dieter Schmidtchen

    (Universität des Saarlandes)

  • Bernard Steunenberg

    (Leiden University)

Abstract

In various European legal acts the Council has delegated power to the Commission to set common policy, conditional on specific procedural requirements, which are commonly known as "comitology". In this paper we analyse whether and how far these implementation procedures help to overcome a dilemma of delegation, which arises if (a) a principal and an agent have conflicting interests and (b) the principal, due to the structure of the principal-agent relationship, cannot perfectly control the agent (structure-induced agent discretion).

Suggested Citation

  • Dieter Schmidtchen & Bernard Steunenberg, "undated". "European Policymaking: An Agency-Theoretic Analysis of the Issue," German Working Papers in Law and Economics 2002-1-1040, Berkeley Electronic Press.
    • Handle: RePEc:bep:dewple:2002-1-1040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K1 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games

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