Transatlanticity and Government-Sponsored Networks

By Jessica Mrase

This blog post was written for the course "Current Issues in Global and EU Affairs", which took place from February 12-April 30, 2018.

Transatlantic relations between the US and the EU have been some of the most powerful relations in the world. Out of them, the concept of “transatlanticity” was born, housing core topics such as politics, culture, history, and economics. As leaders of the West, the US and the EU are often argued as normative powers and take it upon themselves to be global actors in other areas of the world. This is not limited to a strictly governmental capacity, as it also takes shape in the form of civil society. Civil societies are communities of citizens that come together in common interests and causes. For example, the Red Cross, Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity, and many others, are all civil societies. However, through sponsorship of the government, we are now seeing networks consisting of civil society organizations and businesses established that are supported by the government, known as government-sponsored networks (GSNs).

In the CEURO course with KU Leuven, Prof. Kourtikakis from the Political Science Department at Illinois discussed his new study on GSNs and their role in transatlantic relations. The main questions drawn from GSNs come from understanding their basic functions: What are the structural effects of GSNs, and what are the differences between business and civil society networks?

The idea of a transatlantic civil society comes from the New Transatlantic Agenda, which can be found in the EU’s website “Europa” under the European External Action Service archives. In 1995, at the Madrid Summit, the EU and the US comprised a comprehensive statement with four major goals:

1. Promoting peace and stability, democracy, and development around the world.
2. Responding to global challenges
3. Contributing to the expansion of world trade and closer economic relations.
4. Building bridges across the Atlantic

The main purpose of the Agenda was to strengthen relations between EU institutions and the federal US government. With the inclusion of civil society, this would ensure, or at least add another protective layer, democratization of transatlantic decision-making. Prof. Kourtikakis focused his lecture on the creation of transatlantic dialogue networks and why civil societies participate in them. Through the sharing of information, all parties gain something from the network. In his study, Prof. Kourtikakis concludes that direct contact among members is what makes GSNs most successful.

The involvement of whether or not civil society in transatlantic policy is a good thing is still up for debate. Perhaps the quality of agreements between the EU and US with get better as citizens are acting on their own behalf for a greater cause. However cultural differences between the two powerhouses might misconstrue the “lobby”-like tactics that arise from these politics.