This book examines accountability in the EU from different perspectives and considers whether EU citizens have real opportunities for holding decision-makers accountable. This book critically analyses five arguments which claim there are sufficient means for holding decision-makers to account in the Union. The authors examine: The argument that we should rethink the meaning of accountability in the EU context The claim that there is no accountability deficit in the EU because member states have the power to retrieve all delegated competencies The assertion that EU citizens have effective mechanisms for holding those responsible for legislative decision-making to account The contention that the arrangements that obtain at present for holding the executive power in the EU to account are acceptable The belief that the involvement of organised civil society can work as an alternative to traditional forms of accountability The main conclusion is that the current institutional set-up and practice of decision-making in the EU is one that merely creates an illusion of accountability. Using a strict framework focusing on the difference between formal mechanisms and actual opportunities for accountability, this highly coherent volume will be of interest to students and scholars of European politics, especially those interested in the democratic foundations of the European political system.

This book examines accountability in the EU from different perspectives and considers whether EU citizens have real opportunities for holding decision-makers accountable. This book critically analyses five arguments which claim there are sufficient means for holding decision-makers to account in the Union. The authors examine:

• The argument that we should rethink the meaning of accountability in the EU context
• The claim that there is no accountability deficit in the EU because member states have the power to retrieve all delegated competencies
• The assertion that EU citizens have effective mechanisms for holding those responsible for legislative decision-making to account
• The contention that the arrangements that obtain at present for holding the executive power in the EU to account are acceptable
• The belief that the involvement of organised civil society can work as an alternative to traditional forms of accountability

The main conclusion is that the current institutional set-up and practice of decision-making in the EU is one that merely creates an illusion of accountability.

Using a strict framework focusing on the difference between formal mechanisms and actual opportunities for accountability, this highly coherent volume will be of interest to students and scholars of European politics, especially those interested in the democratic foundations of the European political system.

"This fine team of academics moves beyond mere descriptions of capacities, structures and processes to explain the effectiveness of Civil Protection in the EU. With their exploration of trust as a key factor, they deliver the best book so far on this critical topic."-Arjen Boin, Leiden University, the Netherlands "Grounded in unique and voluminous fieldwork within the EU's nascent community of civil protection practitioners and mechanisms, this timely study shows us that interpersonal and professional trust rooted in collegiate relationships is pivotal for bridging the different policy styles embedded in member states' administrative cultures and building much-needed cohesive, effective and resilient European crisis management capacity. A gem for crisis management and EU scholars alike."-Paul 't Hart, Utrecht University and Netherlands School of Public Administration, the Netherlands The EU and its member states have committed themselves to the protection of their citizens, and a Europe that protects must be able to respond effectively when disaster strikes. Utilizing unique survey data and interviews in nineteen EU member states, this book treats civil protection and crisis management as crucial cases for investigating which factors-such as trust, public-administration culture, and public-administration structure-facilitate or hinder effective EU cooperation. In addition to investigating the main divides and unifying patterns of cooperation that exist among the EU member states, the authors combine knowledge from crisis management studies together with insights from public and social capital studies to examine to what extent so-called 'software factors', such as culture, trust, and norms, matter for achieving effective civil protection cooperation and crisis management.