Svein S. Andersen

The European Union : how democratic is it?

Introduction - Svein S Andersen and Kjell A Eliassen Dilemmas, Contradictions and the Future of European Democracy PART ONE: NUMERICAL DEMOCRACY, CORPORATIVE PLURALISM AND LOBBYING IN EUROPEAN POLITICS Euro-Parties and European Parties - Mogens N Pedersen New Arenas, New Challenges and New Strategies EU-Lobbying - Svein S Andersen and Kjell A Eliassen Between Representativity and Effectiveness The Modern West European State and the European Union - Wolgang Wessels Democratic Erosion or a New Kind of Polity? PART TWO: EU POLICY-MAKING AND NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS The French EU Decision-Making - Christian Lequesne Between Destablization and Adaptation European Policy-Making and National Institutions - The Case of Belgium - Cecilia Andersen Italy - Federiga Maria Bindi In Need of More EU Democracy PART THREE: EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS: LEGITIMACY AND DEMOCRACY The Role of the Commission - Finn Laursen The Role of the Council - Fiona Hayes-Renshaw Voting Power under the EU Constitution - Jan E Lane, Reinert Moeland and Sven Berg The European Parliament - Juliet Lodge PART FOUR: THE FUTURE OF EU DEMOCRACY The European Union - Rolf Gustavsson 1996 and beyond a Personal View from the Side-Line The European Union and the Erosion of Parliamentary Democracy - Svein S Andersen and Tom Burns A Study of Post-Parliamentary Governance Democracy - Svein S Andersen and Kjell A Eliassen Traditional Concerns in New Institutional Settings

Fit for the fight? Illnesses in the Norwegian team in the Vancouver Olympic Games

Background The development of strategies to prevent illnesses before and during Olympic Games provides a basis for improved health and Olympic results. Objective (1) To document the efficacy of a prevention programme on illness in a national Olympic team before and during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games (OWG), (2) to compare the illness incidence in the Norwegian team with Norwegian incidence data during the Turin 2006 OWG and (3) to compare the illness incidence in the Norwegian team with illness rates of other nations in the Vancouver OWG. Methods Information on prevention measures of illnesses in the Norwegian Olympic team was based on interviews with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Chief Nutrition and Sport Psychology Officers, and on a review of CMO reports before and after the 2010 OWG. The prevalence data on illness were obtained from the daily reports on injuries and illness to the International Olympic Committee. Results The illness rate was 5.1% (five of 99 athletes) compared with 17.3% (13 out of 75 athletes) in Turin (p=0.008). A total of four athletes missed one competition during the Vancouver Games owing to illness, compared with eight in Turin. The average illness rate for all nations in the Vancouver OWG was 7.2%. Conclusions Although no definite cause-and-effect link between the implementation of preventive measures and the prevalence of illness in the 2010 OWG could be established, the reduced illness rate compared with the 2006 OWG, and the low prevalence of illnesses compared with other nations in the Vancouver OWG suggest that the preparations were effective.

Differentiated Integration: What is it and How Much Can the EU Accommodate?

Abstract How much differentiated integration can the European Union accommodate? Not all member states are equally eager or able to participate in all aspects of integration, and the impact of EU policy on the member states varies across states and policy sectors. Whereas much of the literature on differentiated integration has focused primarily on formal opt–outs, this article widens the term to capture both the formal and informal arrangements for policy opt–outs as well as the differences, or discretionary aspects, associated with putting EU policy into practice. The article draws on organisational theory to elaborate a broad and flexible understanding of European integration that links the literature on integration and Europeanisation, and proceeds to explore different types of European integration. The core question is therefore: what is differentiated integration, and how much can the EU accommodate? Is differentiated integration a robust path for the EU project?

Knowledge development and transfer in a mindful project‐organization

Purpose – In elite sport competitions there are small margins, and small advantages may be the key to big success. Details that in many other setting would be considered insignificant can have a major impact on results. Awareness about risks therefore becomes a key concern in such projects, and this is often viewed as the essence of project management. Compensations for negative outcomes do not make sense. Delays, cost‐overruns or compensations are not viable options. In such situations, success depends on the ability to manage risks with a high degree of reliability, reflects the ability to mobilize, use and develop new knowledge. This paper aims to offer an opportunity to investigate mechanisms for knowledge development and transfer in relation to risk management in a mindful organization.Design/methodology/approach – The starting point was formal documents and plans, but the main data source is semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with all major actors involved. The data are representative in the sense ...

The EU Regulatory State, Commission Leadership and External Energy Governance

In the 1990s the European Union extended its regulatory state model (Majone 1994; Lodge 2002; Moran 2002; Lodge 2008; Levi-Faur 2011) to the utilities sectors, and began to liberalize its gas market. As this process got underway, the EU began to pursue a parallel process: extending the reach of the single market beyond its borders. In fact, the EU sought to guarantee security of energy supplies primarily by extending its regulatory governance beyond its jurisdiction. These efforts included enlarging the EU (thereby expanding the direct reach of its regulatory apparatus), establishing the European Economic Area (EEA) (making key energy-supplier Norway comply with EU rules), and setting up policy agreements such as the Energy Charter Treaty with former Communist states — notably Russia (which currently supplies the EU with 30 per cent of its gas and 35 per cent of its oil) (Eurostat 2012).

Managing Heterogeneity in the EU: Using Gas Market Liberalisation to Explore the Changing Mechanisms of Intergovernmental Governance

Abstract Since the Single European Act the EU has brought many ‘public’ policy sectors characterised by heterogeneity under the umbrella of the Single Market. Consequently, some of the tools employed to shelter these sectors from supranational governance — unanimous decision-making, limited Commission competence and ‘ring fenced’ national regimes — are no longer fully relevant. The member states and the Commission have therefore developed a series of additional measures to accommodate heterogeneity. The central questions here are: as integration proceeds, what can member states reasonably demand in order to safeguard their interests? And, how can the Commission offer the necessary flexibility? The literature on policy implementation and differentiated integration provides a point of departure for generalisations about changes to mechanisms of intergovernmental governance. The present paper uses developments in the EU gas sector to explore and elaborate how the adoption of new measures changes the mechanisms of intergovernmental governance.

Talent development as an ecology of games: a case study of Norwegian handball

ABSTRACT Structured talent identification and development, it has been argued, is one of the foundations of international sporting success and many modern elite sport systems have applied normative talent development (TD) models. The success of Norwegian handball, however, is based on an alternative approach to TD. Norwegian handball is characterized by a heterarchical organizational structure in which several key actors function highly autonomously. The aim of this article is three-fold: (a) to describe the organization of TD in Norwegian handball, (b) to identify how the inherent organizational characteristics of Norwegian handball have influenced the TD processes used and (c) to discuss if contemporary TD models provide an adequate conceptualization of the model used in Norwegian handball. This case study includes three units of analysis: (i) the overall organizational structure of Norwegian handball, (ii) the characteristics of the key actors involved and (iii) the inter-communication and collaborations of the key actors. The data sources were (a) documents and (b) interviews with 11 key informants. The informants were selected strategically to represent experienced coaches and professionals from multiple organizational units. The National Handball Federation uses a broad-based model for TD: 23% of male handball players and 15% of female handball players from the age of 13–17 years participate in regional-level initiatives in addition to practising daily in community-based volunteer sport clubs and sport schools. Findings reveal that the broad base of TD initiatives creates multiple access points to the talent pipeline for adolescents. However, because the heterarchical structure involves many actors, the unintended consequences are often related to (im)properly managing training and competition loads. There is a need therefore for well-developed coordination mechanisms and good communication between the key actors involved.

Same ambitions – different tracks: a comparative perspective on Nordic elite sport

Studies of politics, welfare states and social issues often emphasize the commonalities that constitute a Nordic model. Similarly, research on international elite sport emphasize the convergence of elite sport systems. In the domain of Nordic elite sport commonalities exist, but the differences are more striking. Not only are there differences among the national elite sport systems, they also often run counter to dominant patterns of political and societal organizations within each country. This article explores how such differences have come about since the Second World War, and how they influence the way todays challenges are dealt within the different Nordic countries.

How elite athletes reflect on their training: strong beliefs – ambiguous feedback signals

Elite sport organizations invest considerable efforts in continuous evaluation of training and development. A key challenge is to promote athletes’′ reliable learning. This requires critical reflection. In this paper we look at how highly successful elite cross-country skiers reflect on their training. The theoretical framework of organizational mindfulness and reliable learning directs attention to three key mechanisms that influence reflection: socialization, sensemaking and interpretation. We identified an inherent tension in the way athletes are socialized into elite athletes. On the one hand, they internalize strong beliefs in key success factors. Such beliefs serve as a normative framework that provides commitment and enthusiasm. However, strong beliefs may weaken the athletes’ ability to notice ambiguous feedback signals in complex training situations. We found four different styles of reflection, but only one of them is consistent with requirements for reliable learning.

Coaching elite athletes: How coaches stimulate elite athletes' reflection

This article investigates the coaching behaviour of five Norwegian national elite team coaches in cross-country skiing. It identifies how they acted as ‘sensegivers’ towards the athletes. An important part of this is how coaches, assisted by support personnel, stimulated athletes reflections in ways that improved the quality of everyday training. It draws upon social and relational aspects of learning within an organizational setting. The theory of mindful organizations, with its emphasis on sensemaking and sensegiving, is introduced to capture how coaches and support personnel can influence athletes reflections. The article makes both an empirical and theoretical contribution. First, it directs attention to sensegiving as an important element of coaching behaviour. Second, it identifies key mechanisms of sensegiving not previously discussed in the literature.