CONNEX - External Democratisation by the EU

The Network of Excellence CONNEX ("Connecting Excellence on European Governance") is one of the few projects funded by the European Union within the first call for proposals for priority 7 of the Sixth Framework Programme of Research. It is dedicated to the analysis of efficient and democratic multilevel governance in Europe and will have a 4 years duration (July 2004 - June 2008).

Within the CONNEX framework Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt is conducting a Workpackage on “External Democratisation by the EU” together with Dr. Susan Stewart (University of Mannheim)

Core questions:

The EU is propagating the development of legitimate democratic governance in third countries and acts as an external promoter of democracy. In doing so, the EU utilizes various instruments. How can one best explain the choice of instruments of democratisation?

Based on numerous case studies already presented in a first conference, a comparative analysis aims at exploring and explaining the differentiated use of instruments in different countries.

In a follow-up study not just the use but also the effect of instruments should be investigated: “What is the impact of various instruments in different countries and how can it be explained?” The workshop should work on a model to assess and explain the impact of external democracy promotion in general and relate particular instruments to specific impacts.

Past activities

1.      Workshop: The European Union as an External Democracy Promoter: Central and Eastern Europe, University of Mannheim, 18./19.2.2005 (conducted by Dr. Susan Stewart)

2.      International Conference “The EU as an External Democracy Promoter: East and Central Europe (incl. former Soviet Union), the Mediterranean, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Pacific (ACP) in Comparison”, TU-Darmstadt, 18/19.11.2005 (Programmconference) 

Activities:

1. Academic workshop: Actors and instruments involved in external democratisation (Autumn: Sept./Oct. 2006) together with Prof. Dr. Annette Jünemann

Series of small academic workshops: Comparative impact analysis of external democratisation on various regions (End 2006/Spring 2007)

Publikation

Knodt, Michèle/Jünemann, Annette (Hrsg.) 2006: Die externe Demokratieförderung der Europäischen Union, Baden-Baden: Nomos, i.E.

Knodt, Michèle 2006 : Die Europäischen Union als Exporteur von Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit, in: Müller-Graff, Peter Christian (Hrsg.), Die EU als Akteur in der Welt, Nomos, i.E.

Knodt, Michèle/Jünemann, Annette 2005: Externe Demokratieförderung durch die Europäische Union. Ost- und Mitteleuropa, Mittelmeer, Lateinamerika, Karibik, Afrika und Asien im Vergleich, Konferenzbericht, ZIB, i.E.

Knodt, Michèle/Jünemann, Annette 2005: Theorising the EU as an External Democracy Promoter, Konferenzpapier auf der internationalen Konferenz "The EU as an External Democracy Promoter: East and Central Europe (incl. former Soviet Union), the Mediterranean, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Pacific (ACP) in Comparison", organised by Michèle Knodt and Annette Jünemann, November 18/19, 2005, Darmstadt.

Knodt, Michèle 2005: The EU as an External Democracy Promoter. A research framework, Konferenzpapier auf der “Third ECPR General Conference” in Budapest, 8.-11. September 2005, Panel 18 - 1: The EU as an External Democracy Promoter.

Knodt, Michèle 2004: New Members, New Neighbours, New Borders: the Security Dimension of the EU Democratisation Policy, Vortrag auf der International Annual Scientific Conference “Challenges of the New EU: Were Expectations and Fears Justified?”, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Litauen.

http://www.connex-network.org/

Kontakt:

Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt

Institut für Politikwissenschaft

Technische Universität Darmstadt

64283 Darmstadt

Tel.: 06151/16-2442

Email: Knodt(at)pg.tu-darmstadt.de