The Committee Secretariat of the European Parliament: administrative mobility, expertise and keeping the legislative wheels turning. Issue 2 (3rd April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Alexander, David A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of legislative studies. Volume 27:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 227
• Page End: 245
• Publication Date: 2021-04-03
• Subjects: European Parliament -- Committee Secretariat -- mobility -- administrative systems -- expertise; Legislative power -- Periodicals; Legislation -- Research -- Periodicals; Legislative bodies -- Periodicals; 328.305
• DOI: 10.1080/13572334.2020.1832389
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1357-2334

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper offers a novel perspective on the benefits provided by the rotation of administrators within legislative systems, by exploring the Committee Secretariat (CS) of the European Parliament (EP) and their role as a source of information utilised by legislators. Using qualitative interviews, I provide an original outlook on the expertise of the Committee Secretariat after the entrenchment of career mobility practices. I find that the advent of mobility, where administrators are moved into a new position after a set number of years, is altering the culture of the Secretariat away from area specialists and towards greater concentrations of highly adaptable generalists. I provide an account on the functions of mobility and the benefits it provides from encouraging a more encompassing understanding of institutional practices. From gaining a wider knowledge, by working on different committees, administrators may be of greater usefulness to lawmakers.