The European Commission’ expert group system is a key feature of EU policy making. It is potentially also a channel of societal involvement, and a venue where societal groups can co-produce knowledge in the interface between public administration, science and society. They take on multiple roles: as stakeholders and advocates; as experts founded on experience-based knowledge; and as experts based on their professional knowledge. Building on an organisation theory perspective on the interaction between bureaucracies, external expertise and society in executive politics, this paper examines the participation in the expert group system of a broad set of societal actors. Under what conditions do they access expert venues, and what roles do they play in knowledge production within this organised setting? It draws on a large-N study of the Commission's expert groups and a qualitative study of consumer organisations’ role in the expert group system (interview data).
