Regions in Europe and Regions outside Europe
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These three questions are divided into six sub-questions: • What interpretations of good governance exist in the member states and what are the underlying values (suitability, integrity, and transparency)? This sub-question is strongly related to the following sub-question: • How are the principles of good governance applied in the member states? The findings are linked to the different nature of institutions involved in different activities. • How are conflicting values balanced? It can often be the case that two principles of good governance conflict with each other. We expect that, when it comes to conflicts, member states will not always follow the same approach, because countries place different emphasis on different values. • What is the influence of interpretations and applications of good governance in member states on their attitudes on the European level? This sub-question is discussed and will also connect to the following two sub-questions: • What are the main differences between the various methods of interpretation and application of the principles of good governance? • How could these be explained and what are the benefits and problems with regard to European politics?
The research questions have been approached from an interdisciplinary perspective.4 Elaborating upon the sub-questions allows us to give sufficient account of the diverse aspects of good governance from the outset, as well as its meaning and underlying values and the multiple perspectives on good governance. The research was divided into three steps. In September to November 2014 the twenty-eight country reports—based on individual desk studies—were written and sometimes with help from experts from these countries. The country reports all have the same structure. In December 2014 to February 2015, we asked the contact persons of the European Ombudsman in each of the twenty-eight countries—experts in these countries—to make comments on the written draft versions of the country reports. We received comments and suggestions from twenty contact persons. In February to March 2015, we finalized the country reports and made some general provisional conclusions based on these revised country reports. In April to May 2015, the report was written and finalized in September 2015.
4. Five Regions in Europe and Three Countries in Three Regions outside Europe: Africa (South Africa), America (Canada), and Oceania (Australia)—Three Groups of Values and Practices of Good Governance The countries within and outside Europe have been investigated individually and, for cultural, social, and internal comparative reasons, were grouped differently. In Europe we distinguished five regions: Northern Europe (NE): Denmark, Finland, and Sweden; Western Europe (WE): Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, and Luxembourg; Southern Europe (SE): Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta; Central Europe (CE): Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Romania; The United Kingdom and Ireland. 4
Van Kersbergen and Van Waarden 2004, 143–71; Addink 2013.
