Enhancing the EU’s transboundary crisis management capacity
Transboundary crises are at the core of the ʹnew normalʹ that characterises politics and policy‐making in Europe. Whether it is the financial crisis and the subsequent debates about the governance of the Eurozone, the Icelandic ash cloud, floods, oil spills, horse meat and other food scandals, let alone geopolitical tensions, this ‘new normal’ has highlighted interdependences among European states, where crises do not stop at national political boundaries. In a world where national politics has limited capacity to exercise boundary control over crises, the importance of managing transboundary crisis points to the critical role that the EU can play. However, this realisation comes at a time of growing scepticism regarding the effectiveness and legitimacy of the EU, and a re‐nationalisation of electoral politics.
TransCrisis is a three‐year international research collaboration on EU transboundary crisis‐management that aims to:
- advance our understanding of crisis management capacities across institutions within a multi‐level governance setting
- contribute to debates in the world of practice appropriate governance arrangements in the light of transboundary crises, especially in relation to EU institutions
- promote public debate about transboundary crises and what citizens might expect from crisis leadership in a multi‐level system
To advance our understanding of the capacities and limits affecting crisis management and leadership in the EU and to develop high‐impact policy recommendations, this project focuses on a number of distinct components, ranging from (i) the role of European political leaders, their capacities and their responsiveness to public opinion, (ii) the crisis management capacities of EU institutions, and (iii) the interaction between the EU and national political‐administrative systems in managing crises.
