Evaluating EU Policies on Public Services: A Citizens' Perspective

Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Vol. 81, No. 2, 2010

42 Pages Posted: 30 Apr 2010 Last revised: 18 May 2010

See all articles by Judith Clifton

Judith Clifton

University of Cantabria

Daniel Díaz-Fuentes

Universidad de Cantabria; Universidad de Cantabria, Department of Economics

Date Written: April 29, 2010

Abstract

This article evaluates EU policies on public services – particularly public network services – from the citizens' point of view. It is first argued that citizens' perceptions are important because the provision of fundamental services is at stake and because they constitute the infrastructure necessary for social and economic development. Citizens' 'voice' can, therefore, be known, analyzed and used in the design of improved policy on public services along with other indicators. Changing EU policy on public services is synthesized and classified into two main phases in section two. Citizen satisfaction with public services as revealed through surveys from 1997 to 2007 is explored in the third section. In the discussion, the prospects for EU policy on public services are considered and, it is argued that, from the perspectives of subsidiarity and proportionality, policy towards strengthening the common market is being increasingly uploaded to the supranational level in the form of directives, whilst cohesion and redistribution policies are being downloaded to the national level or dealt with at the supranational level by 'soft' instruments.

Keywords: public services, utilities, consumer satisfaction, European Union, citizens

JEL Classification: L9, H41

Suggested Citation

Clifton, Judith and Diaz-Fuentes, Daniel and Diaz-Fuentes, Daniel, Evaluating EU Policies on Public Services: A Citizens' Perspective (April 29, 2010). Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Vol. 81, No. 2, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1597770

Judith Clifton (Contact Author)

University of Cantabria ( email )

Avda. Los Castros, s/n
Santander 39005
Spain

Daniel Diaz-Fuentes

Universidad de Cantabria, Department of Economics ( email )

Av. Los Castros s/n
Santander 39005, Cantabria 39005
Spain
+34 942201624 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://personales.unican.es/diazd/

Universidad de Cantabria ( email )

Av. Los Castros s/n
Santander 39005, Cantabria 39005
Spain
+34 942201624 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://personales.unican.es/diazd/

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