…..goes to ‘Bruges’ graduate Chiodo for thesis on EU stakeholder consultation
Rossella Chiodo, graduate from the College of
Europe in Bruges, has won this year’s ACEA Competitiveness Award for a
thesis on the effectiveness and influence of stakeholder consultation
during impact assessments of the European Commission.
“Stakeholder consultation is fundamental for legitimising the political
process in the European Union”, Chiodo says about the topic she chose,
“not least when it comes to impact assessments.” Her findings include
that stakeholder consultation on impact assessments is not used as
efficiently as possible, partly due to political contention taking the
upper hand over input from stakeholders.
ACEA Secretary General Ivan Hodac congratulated the winner. “Rossella
Chiodo addresses a topic that policy makers and stakeholders deal with on
a daily basis. Impact assessments are crucial for policy making, all the
more when technical issues are involved, and relevant stakeholder
intelligence should be fully used to achieve accurate results.”
It is the fifth time that ACEA, the Brussels-based European Automobile
Manufacturers’ Association, awards a College of Europe student for a
thesis that shows academic excellence and investigates a dimension of EU
regulation and industry competitiveness without necessarily being
automotive-industry specific.
The cooperation between the European Automobile Manufacturers’
Association and the College in Bruges is rooted in the mutual conviction
that close understanding is essential between industry & business,
academia and the EU institutions, many of which recruit from the College
of Europe. European integration is still work in progress. Continuous
interaction between society’s decision makers is of utmost significance
to preserve what has grown and draft effective regulation while avoiding
unnecessary bureaucracy.
Before her master’s degree in European political studies at the College
of Europe, Chiodo was a researcher at the Institute for Political Studies
in Milan and obtained degrees in international studies and sociology.