From Legislators to the End-User - Practical Difficulties of Implementing European Directives

Contents

Abbreviations

1 Introduction: The “insider’s” view

2 “Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive” –Interaction, problem solving conceptsand “European” actors

2.1 Organisations, institutions and individual actors

2.2 Organising and stabilising interaction

2.3 European and national actors

2.3.1 The EU level and the European Commission as a communication andbargaining system

2.3.2 The Commission as an actor in its own role

2.3.3 Member State authorities – the national/transnational actors

2.3.4 Federations57 – industry’s “early-warning system”

2.3.5 Technical specification writers – the Men in Black?

2.4 “After the dust has settled …” – the implementationof EU legislation by national actors

2.5 Knowledge, lack of knowledge, trust

3 The practical implementation of the CPD

3.1 Researching one’s own backyard

3.1.1 EU Directives as research topics

3.1.2 Research on the CPD from the EU level to the “construction-site” level

3.1.3 Risks and advantages of researching in one’s own field of work

3.2 The EU level

3.2.1 The European Commission

3.2.2 Member States authorities

3.2.3 Federations

3.2.4 Certification Bodies, Test laboratories – the Group of Notified Bodies(GNB)

3.2.5 The technical specification writers (CEN and EOTA)

3.2.6 Other European bodies

3.3 The assumptions of actors at EU level

3.3.1 The European Commission

3.3.2 MS authorities

3.3.3 Federations

3.3.4 Certification Bodies (Notified Bodies) –the Group of Notified Bodies (GNB)

3.3.5 The technical specification writers (CEN and EOTA)

3.4 Conclusions at EU level

3.4.1 Working at EU level: The “power” of the few …

3.4.2 … the real input of the few …

3.4.3 … and the output

3.5 The national level

3.5.1 Member State authorities

3.5.2 Federations

3.5.3 The technical specification writers

3.5.4 Notified Bodies

3.5.5 Other national bodies

3.6 The assumptions of actors at national level

3.6.1 Member State (national and regional) authorities

3.6.2 Federations/ standardisation work

3.6.3 Certification Bodies/Notified Bodies

3.7 Conclusion at national level

3.7.1 … and still: the “power” of the few?

3.7.2 … the real input of the few …

3.7.3 … and the output

3.7.4 Technical standards, CE marking and other marks: “marketinstruments” or practical instruments for the construction sector?

3.7.5 National approaches

3.7.6 Trust at national level?

3.8 The “construction site” level

3.9 The assumption of actors at the construction site level

3.9.1 Manufacturers

3.9.2 Distributors

3.9.3 Architects/designers

3.9.4 Contractors/construction companies

3.9.5 www.CE – The invisible actor on the “construction site” level

3.10 Conclusion construction site level

4 Conclusion: Lessons to be learned?

4.1 “I had a dream …”

4.2 “Brussels” – setting the stage

4.3 The information flow to (and from) national actors –setting the national level

4.4 The “construction site” level –The quest for the “missing link”

4.5 Good news and bad news for Eurosceptics …

4.6 … and Europhiles

4.7 Research on European Directives –“Gaps” and future fields of research?

4.8 “Here is my brilliant plan! You work out the details!”

5 Bibliography