Conclusions

The various chapters in this handbook show that public administration as a science has developed very strongly in Europe, leading to more publications and increased presence in the international debates, both in academia as well as in practice. A research agenda is described calling for more research using new theories and methods (e.g. behavioural public administration and experiments), focusing on new(er) topics (e.g. public procurement, implementation of EU policies, results of management reforms), but also to continue the strong tradition of comparative research (between countries, at different levels) that is nowadays so strongly rooted in Europe, and to maintain a relationship with practitioners (e.g. offering policy advice).