Worker participation: a ‘burden’ on the European Company (SE)? A critical assessment of an EU consultation process

In March 2010, the EU Commission made available a ‘Ernst and Young study’ on the operation and the impacts of the Statute for a European Company. In July 2010, the Commission produced a summary report on the replies of a online consultation on the results of the study. This ETUI paper brings together a critical analysis of the consultation procedure and of the Commission consultation summary. In his Inventory Jan Cremers raises the question of the value of a web-based public consultation. How should the individual contributions be weighted? What is the relevance of the contribution of, let’s say, BUSINESSEUROPE compared to the contribution of an individual citizen from behind his desk? As demonstrated in the Inventory, the Commission is very selective in highlighting the contributions it received, although the suggestion is that every number counts. Surprisingly, Commission Services neither treats critical remarks seriously nor confirms or refutes them.