How to Put Matters Right? Assessing the Role of Civil Society in EU Accountability

In contrast to the international arena, accountability and civil society have until recently attracted little attention in the EU context. Civil society is said to play a decisive role in holding EU authorities to account, but this positive assessment lacks systematic examination. This article clarifies the concept of accountability and civil society and suggests a typology of accountability relations to explore the different roles civil society organisations may play as actors or facilitators of EU accountability. The heuristic use of this analytical approach is demonstrated by drawing on empirical findings from a recently completed research project.