P.J. Stephenson, Ph.D.
Paul is interested in the dynamics of the European policy process, and in particular, the role that institutions play. His doctoral research introduced him to European public policy and focused on the role of the European Commission and high-level working groups in formulating and coordinating the implementation of trans-European transport networks policy. He also looked at how national parliaments are engaged in EU policy-making through their Joint EU Affairs committees. This interest in transport policy-making has seen his research interests develop in two ways: transport and space policy; and the evaluation and audit of internal market policies, including transport.
First, since the EU's Galileo satellite navigation systems was incorporated into the EU's 30 priority TENs projects in the early 2000s, it meant that research into transport policy led to resesarch into developments in a burgeoning European space policy. Investment in space infrastructures has implications for many EU policy areas, from transport and agriculture, to environment, migration, security and defence.
Secondly, when looking into audits into the effectiveness of the Trans-European Networks Executive Agency (now the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency), he became interested, not only in notions of policy performance (success and failure, effectiveness), but also the politics of auditing policies and programmes funded by the EU more broadly, and in turn, the (under-researched) role played by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) (1977) in this process.
His reseach project 'Accountability and Public Policy Audit in the EU (APPLAUD) examined the institutionalisation of audit over time, including the work of the ECA, and how EU budgetary spending has come to be scutinised by the European Parliament (EP). The research project was carried out in 2013-2015 while a visiting scholar at Sciences Po, Paris and was financed by the Marie Curie Actions, part of the 7th Framework Programme.
Following the completion of his PhD, and before coming to Maastricht in 2006, Paul worked as a practitioner on EU cohesion policy based in Lille, France. In the summer of 2003 a summer heatwave had devastating consequences in Europe, and particularly France, with a very high death toll. He closely followed the political reaction to the disaster and the public (mis)management. He decided to research this issue as a case of crisis management and in terms of public accountability.
Paul is interested in the beginning and end of the policy process, from the framing and discursive strategies of political actors, to the implementation, evaluation and audit of policy. He enjoys politocal science theory and likes to find ways to refine or reconcile conceptual frameworks, and apply them to his own original analyses in public policy.
1) Transport policy, trans-European networks and space integration
In the 1980s, the EC was working towards ‘1992’ and the completion of the ‘Single Market’. While this largely focused on the removal of tariff barriers, there were also significant ‘physical’ barriers to complete market integration; the free movement of goods, services, capital and people depended entirely on the European transport network. My doctoral thesis (1998-2002) examined the push by industrial interest groups for large-scale infrastructure projects (including cross-border high-speed rail and road links), and their influence on the Commission's trans-European transport networks (TEN-Ts). Despite political backing by the member states, for various reasons they were fraught with problems and delays.
2) French politics and crisis management
In 2003 I was living and working in Lille during the European heatwave in the month of August. France’s state institutions (hospitals, care homes, mortuaries) failed to cope with the excess deaths caused by the extreme temperatures. The death toll, particularly among the very elderly, was considerable. I was fascinated by the political fallout from the crisis, and the public mismanagement of the affair with all its framing and blame-shifting, where different actors, in the French parliament and in the media, competed to frame the catastrophe and establish responsibility. The French government then experimented in its political response, in so doing raising key questions about the obligations of society, the welfare state and inter-generational solidarity.
3) Financial accountability and the politics of audit
While examining the implementation of TENs, I began to consider how to evaluate their success or failure. The research led me to the European Court of Auditors and its function in auditing the way the EU budget, i.e. EU taxpayers’ money, has been used for the projects. I realized that the ECA was under-researched, despite its status as an official EU institution. This led me to look historically at its evolution over 40 years, its inter-institutional relations with other key actors (EP, Commission, OLAF), and to identify broader issues and challenges to financial accountability,
International peer-reviewed articles
Stephenson, P. J., Schönefeld, J. J. and Leeuw, F. L. (2019) ‘The Politicisation of Evaluation: Constructing and Contesting EU Policy Performance’, German Political Science Quarterly/Politische Vierteljahresschrift, 60(4), 663-679: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11615-019-00212-7
Stephenson, P. (2017) ‘Why better regulation demands better scrutiny of results: the European Parliament’s use of performance audits by the European Court of Auditors in ex post impact assessment’, European Journal of Law Reform, 19(1), 97-120: https://www.elevenjournals.com/tijdschrift/ejlr/2017/1-2
Stephenson, P. (2017) ‘Norms, legitimacy and institutional independence: the active role of the European Court of Auditors in setting international standards’, Journal of Contemporary European Research, 13(1), 1144-1165: https://www.jcer.net/index.php/jcer/article/view/781
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Starting from scratch? Analysing early institutionalization processes: the case of audit governance’, Journal of European Public Policy, 23(10), 1481-1501: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13501763.2015.1110193
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Sixty-five years of Auditing Europe’, Journal of Contemporary European Research, 12(1): 467-485: https://www.jcer.net/index.php/jcer/article/view/691
Stephenson, P. (2015) ‘Reconciling audit and evaluation? The shift to performance and effectiveness at the European Court of Auditors’, European Journal of Risk Regulation, 1, 79-89: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-risk-regulation/article/reconciling-audit-and-evaluation/583A816B95B561552F009285CAEC77CD
Stephenson, P. (2014) ‘Appointing the members of the European Court of Auditors: towards better-qualified management and more efficient and timely decision-making?’, Cuadernos Europeos de Deusto (European Journal of Deusto, Bilbao), 51, 99-122: http://ced.revistas.deusto.es/article/view/808
Stephenson, P.J. (2014) ‘Gift and reciprocity at work? Using Mauss to explore justifications for the Solidarity Day in the aftermath of the 2003 heatwave’, Modern and Contemporary France, 22(3), 343-361: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09639489.2013.865011
Stephenson, P. J. (2013) ‘20 Years of Multi-Level Governance: Where Does It Come From? What Is It? Where Is It Going?’, Journal of European Public Policy, 20(6), 817-837: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13501763.2013.781818
Stephenson, P. J. (2013) ‘Solidarity as Political Strategy: Post-Crisis Reform Following the French Heatwave’, Public Management Review, 15(3), 402-415: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14719037.2013.769850
Stephenson, P. (2013) ‘Differentiating agency independence: perceptions from inside the European Medicines Agency (EMA)’, Journal of Contemporary European Research, 9(1), 4-23 (with Makhashvili, L.): https://www.jcer.net/index.php/jcer/article/view/422
Stephenson, P. J. (2012) ‘Napoleon, nostalgia and number plates: an analysis of the reactions to the Attali Commission’s proposal to abolish the French department’, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 20(4), 477-494: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14782804.2012.737664
Stephenson, P. (2012) ‘Theoretical Perspectives on Approaches to Policy Evaluation in the EU: the Case of Cohesion Policy’, Public Administration, 90(3), 699-715 (with Hoerner, J.): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2011.02013.x
Stephenson, P. J. (2012) ‘Image and venue as factors mediating latent spillover pressure for agenda-setting change’, Journal of European Public Policy, 19(6), 896-916: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13501763.2011.614141
Stephenson, P. J. (2012) ‘Talking space: the European Commission’s changing frames in defining Galileo’, Space Policy, 28(2), 86-93: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026596461200029X
Stephenson, P. J. (2010) ‘The role of working groups of Commissioners in coordinating policy implementation: the case of trans-European networks (TENs)’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 48(3), 709-736: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-5965.2010.02070.x
Stephenson, P. (2010) ‘Let’s get physical: the Commission and cultivated spillover in completing the Single Market’s transport infrastructure’, Journal of European Public Policy, 17(7), 1039-1057: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13501763.2010.499247
Stephenson, P. J. (2009) ‘Catching the Train to Europe: Executive Control of Policy Formulation inside Spain’s Parliamentary European Union Affairs Committee’, South European Society and Politics, 14(3), 317-336: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13608740903356582
Stephenson, P. (2009) ‘Hot Under the Collar: Lessons from the 2003 Heatwave in France and the Security Implications for Coping with Environmental Threats in the EU’, Journal of Contemporary European Research, 5(2), 293-311: https://www.jcer.net/index.php/jcer/article/view/176
#Special Issue
Stephenson, P. J., Schoenefeld, J. J. and Leeuw, F. L. (2019) ‘The Politicisation of Evaluation: Constructing and Contesting EU Policy Performance’, German Political Science Quarterly/Politische Vierteljahresschrift, 60(4): 663-815. Special issue published in English/Open Access, Springer: Berlin (PVS is the leading political science journal in Germany): https://link.springer.com/journal/11615/60/4
#Book Chapters
Stephenson, P. (2017) ‘The European Parliament’s use of the European Court of Auditors’ special reports in the scrutiny of EU budgetary performance’. In: De Feo, A. and Laffan, B. (ed.) Scrutiny of EU Policies: contributions to the workshop organised by the RSCAS, 27 February 2017, Florence: European University Institute, 44-51. Available at: http://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/48867
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘The institutions and procedures of Cohesion policy’. In: Piattoni, S. and Polverari, L. (eds.) Handbook on Cohesion Policy, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 36-49.
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Framing Theory’. In: Hoerber, T. C. and Sigalas, E. (eds.) Theorizing European Space Policy, New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 1-20.
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Framing as a tool for analysing European space policy’. In: Hoerber, T. and Stephenson. P. (eds.) European Space Policy – European integration: the final frontier? London: Routledge, 30-49.
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Role of the European Commission in framing European space policy’. In: Hoerber, T. and Stephenson. P. (eds.) European Space Policy – European integration: the final frontier? London: Routledge (with L .Marta), 98-113.
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Space policy in the context of trans-European networks and the completion of the Single Market’. In: Hoerber, T. and Stephenson. P. (eds.) European Space Policy – European integration: the final frontier? London: Routledge, 143-158.
Stephenson, P. (2015) ‘Twenty Years of Multi-Level Governance: Where Does It Come From? What Is It? Where Is It Going?’. In Bache, I. and Flinders, M. (eds.) Multi-level Governance: Essential Readings, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Article originally published in Journal of European Public Policy, 20(6), 817-837.
Stephenson, P. J. (2013) ‘Twenty years of multi-level governance: Where Does It Come From? What Is It? Where Is It Going?’. In: Zahariadis, N. (ed.) Frameworks of the European Union’s Policy Process: Competition and Complementarity across the Theoretical Divide, London: Routledge. Article originally published in Journal of European Public Policy, 20(6), 817-837.
Stephenson, P. J. (2012) ‘Let’s get physical: the Commission and cultivated spillover in completing the Single Market’s transport infrastructure’. In: D. Howarth and T. Sadeh (eds.) The Political Economy of Europe’s Incomplete Single Market, London: Routledge. Article originally published in Journal of European Public Policy, 2010, 17(7), 1039-1057.
Textbooks
Versluis, E., van Keulen, M. & Stephenson, P. (2011) Analyzing the European Union Policy Process, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Edited volumes
Hoerber, T. and Stephenson, P. (eds.) (2016) European Space Policy – European integration: the final frontier? London: Routledge.
Book Chapters
Stephenson, P. (2017) ‘The European Parliament’s use of the European Court of Auditors’ special reports in the scrutiny of EU budgetary performance’. In: De Feo, A. and Laffan, B. (ed.) Scrutiny of EU Policies: contributions to the workshop organised by the RSCAS, 27 February 2017, Florence: European University Institute, 44-51. Available at: http://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/48867
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘The institutions and procedures of Cohesion policy’. In: Piattoni, S. and Polverari, L. (eds.) Handbook on Cohesion Policy, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 36-49.
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Framing as a tool for analysing European space policy’. In: Hoerber, T. and Stephenson. P. (eds.) European Space Policy – European integration: the final frontier? London: Routledge, 30-49.
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Role of the European Commission in framing European space policy’. In: Hoerber, T. and Stephenson. P. (eds.) European Space Policy – European integration: the final frontier? London: Routledge (with L .Marta), 98-113.
Stephenson, P. (2016) ‘Space policy in the context of trans-European networks and the completion of the Single Market’. In: Hoerber, T. and Stephenson. P. (eds.) European Space Policy – European integration: the final frontier? London: Routledge, 143-158.
Stephenson, P. (2015) ‘Twenty Years of Multi-Level Governance: Where Does It Come From? What Is It? Where Is It Going?’. In Bache, I. and Flinders, M. (eds.) Multi-level Governance: Essential Readings, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Article originally published in Journal of European Public Policy, 20(6), 817-837.
Stephenson, P. J. (2013) ‘Twenty years of multi-level governance: Where Does It Come From? What Is It? Where Is It Going?’. In: Zahariadis, N. (ed.) Frameworks of the European Union’s Policy Process: Competition and Complementarity across the Theoretical Divide, London: Routledge. Article originally published in Journal of European Public Policy, 20(6), 817-837.
Stephenson, P. J. (2012) ‘Let’s get physical: the Commission and cultivated spillover in completing the Single Market’s transport infrastructure’. In: D. Howarth and T. Sadeh (eds.) The Political Economy of Europe’s Incomplete Single Market, London: Routledge. Article originally published in Journal of European Public Policy, 2010, 17(7), 1039-1057.
P.J. Stephenson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor