Main Conference Theme

European Administrative Space (EAS) has recently become the dominant concept in administrative theory and doctrine for analysis of the phenomenon of administrative convergence in Europe. The EAS was created and is driven by various European players, facilitated by civil servants’ learning, and fuelled by the expectations of European citizens. The EAS is based on and comprises a set of values, social and citizen expectations, governance principles and standards of public administration organisation and functioning defined by law, whose application is supported by the appropriate procedures and accountability mechanisms. It subsumes both good administration and good governance as narrower concepts with somewhat different focuses. European standards and best practices have spread and influence capacity building processes at all governance levels throughout Europe and the neighbouring areas.

We would like to encourage you to submit papers and presentations dealing with the issues related to European Administrative Space, particularly bearing in mind its importance for CEE countries.

Here are several themes, research questions, issues and subjects:

*What is the doctrinal and theoretical content of European good governance?

*How can the transparency and open government concept contribute to better administrative capacities?

*Which mechanisms and methods of policy diffusion are in-built into EAS?

*What are the methods, drivers, and impacts of spreading European administrative standards?

*Which policies, rights and standards are being distributed within the EAS and how do these processes influence administrative capacities at the various levels (national, regional, local, and supranational)?

*What are the fields of harmonisation and administrative convergence in Europe?

*What are the components and meanings of administrative capacities? How do these components depend on various EAS elements? To what extent is the EAS responsible for the improvement of administrative capacities in different administrative milieus?

*Is it possible to achieve an equal level and quality of public services for all European citizens and other people in each and every part of Europe based on the harmonisation of administrative standards?

*What is the future of European public and administrative law and how can its development influence public administrations, citizens and the business sector?

*How is the right to good administration understood? What are the challenges of its implementation?

*To what extent can development of the EAS harmonise traditional public administration models in Europe?

*How can we improve public sector management by spreading EAS standards and building capacities?

*How can we theorise and research EAS? Is it a theoretical or normative and doctrinal concept? What is the European integrated administration and what does it mean for national public administrations?

*How is the neo-Weberian administration model understood versus the traditional public administration under EAS?

*What are the challenges for public administration schools with EAS standards?