In defence of policy incoherence – Illustrations from EU external migration policy

L. den Hertog

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademic

Abstract

The issue of eu policy coherence has attracted tremendous attention from academics and policy makers. Alongside much conceptual querying of what policy coherence means, there is a continuous lamenting of the lack of policy coherence, and the need for more is stressed. Political scientists analyse the decision-making procedures and conclude that different eu institutions, bodies and agencies do not coordinate, resulting in policy coherence. Legal scientists bemoan the incoherent eu legal order and argue for further treaty reform. This chapter takes the case of the eu (external) migration policy to show that this widespread incoherence is a normal and inevitable feature of eu governance in this field, and of any pluralistic, democratic and rule of law based system of government. Divergent interests, values, and actors can only be accommodated in policies by allowing for some degree of policy incoherence, it is thus the condition upon which eu policy making is premised. The chapter argues that the dominant preoccupation with policy coherence should be reappraised, and advances a broad notion of coherence embedded in the rule of law.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEU external migration policies in an era of global mobilities: Intersecting policy universes
EditorsSergio Carrera, Leonhard den Hertog, Dora Kostakopoulou, Marion Panizzon
Place of PublicationLeiden
PublisherBrill | Nijhoff
Pages364-382
ISBN (Print)978-90-0435-422-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Dec 2018

Publication series

SeriesImmigration and Asylum Law and Policy in Europe
Volume44

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