THE INTERACTIVE NATURE OF ‘SOFT’ AND ‘HARD’ GOVERNANCE IN THE EU INFORMATION SOCIETY

Abstract

This article sheds light on the nature and significance of soft governance in that part of the EU's Information Society initiative which focuses on telecommunications. It illustrates a strong complementary relationship between hard and soft governance measures deployed by the EU. This is illustrated through examples in the policy-making and -implementation phases of EU telecommunications policy. The wider significance of the article lies in how it illustrates how telecommunications provides clear evidence of EU Member States expressing a preference for a form of Europeanization combining both obligation and flexibility in ways not achievable through the traditional EU legislative route and in which soft governance plays a central role.

Keywords:

• EU
• soft governance
• information society
• telecommunications