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European Consumer Protection in Telecoms between Supranational Pressures and Domestic Adaptations: The Accountability Discourses of Ten NRA (2003-2015)

Governance
Public Policy
Regulation
Maria Stella Righettini
Department of Political Science, Law, and International Studies, University of Padova
Maria Stella Righettini
Department of Political Science, Law, and International Studies, University of Padova
Stefano Sbalchiero
Regulating the Digital Single Market: Privacy, Property, Protection

Abstract

The spread of NRAs and institutional isomorphism can be assumed to be an indicator of the success of the paradigm of the Regulatory State in Europe; nevertheless, the black box of regulatory governance, including the evolution of accountability discourses and similar tools, is still far from being fully opened (Thatcher, 2002; 2003; Bianculli, Y-Marin, Jordana, 2014). This study aims to contribute to the research agenda on regulatory governance in Europe by investigating “accountability discourse” as a central element that integrates structure and agency in the governance of the telecommunications sector. This paper focuses on the ways NRAs publicly communicate and give an account of their roles and achievements in consumer protection policy through their annual reports in implementing the relevant Directives of 2002 and 2009 of the European Parliament and the Council (Thatcher, 2006; 2007; Righettini, Sbalchiero, 2015). Applying computer-assisted content analysis to annual reports delivered between 2003-2015, we explored the principal changes in consumer protection, in terms of content, meaning and evolution, in ten countries that joined the European regulatory network in different periods. The first section focuses on the analytical framework and contribution provided by a discursive approach in understanding policy change and its institutional dimensions. The second section illustrates certain basic concepts, such as “institutional accountability”, and “discourse”, intended as a set of ideas about rules, practices, interactions, regulatory agenda, regulatory target beneficiaries and goals (Schmidt 2000; 2002b). We illustrate how accountability discourse defines an “epistemological border” and a “repertoire of domestic adaptations” (Schmidt, Radaelli, 2004:11; Righettini, 2011) of national consumer protection policy. In the third section, we illustrate the empirical research based on a quanti-qualitative analysis of the goals, tools and procedures adopted by consumer protection policy in the telecommunications sector. In the fourth and final section, we discuss the empirical findings and the theoretical implications.