Conclusions

Cambridge University Press eBooks, pp. 176–198

Abstract

This chapter provides a comparison of the accountability interactions between the European Parliament and the four executive actors analysed in the book. Taking into account the expectations of the analytical framework, the first section shows that the Parliament has the strongest accountability record when it comes to overseeing the Eurogroup, followed by the Commission, the European Central Bank in banking supervision, and finally the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN). Nevertheless, there are important limitations even in the case of the Eurogroup, which is answerable but not politically responsive to the European Parliament as an accountability forum. The second section is forward-looking and examines the general outlook of the Parliament in overseeing the Economic and Monetary Union for the foreseeable future. Focusing on policy recommendations, the section outlines concrete ways to improve the performance of the European Parliament as an accountability forum and increase the responsiveness of executive actors. The final section provides insights into the broader implications of the book for the study of accountability in the EU’s multi-level system.

Authors 1

1. Adina Akbik corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Universiteit Leiden