Environmental NGOs: Channels of Democracy for the European Union

Abstract: The notion of democratic deficit has been at the centre of many debates on theEuropean Union for the last 30 years. The reason is, to a certain degree, linked to the lack oflegitimacy of the European Commission, which is not elected and remote from the Europeancitizens. However, the Commission seems to have found a positive way to increase itslegitimacy by the inclusion of civil-society in the decision-making process. The interactionbetween the Commission and two Environmental NGOs will therefore be analysed in order tomake a constructive contribution to the debate. The present paper does not limit itself tonormative statements on reality and considers that there is more to socio-political relationsthan “true” verifiable facts. Therefore, it is not limited to the formal decision-making process,and goes deeper into the socialisation process at play between the different actors. Theoutcome is that the Environmental NGOs studied appears as valuable models for theimplementation of new democratic channels for the representation and participation ofEuropean citizens.