The Status of Good Governance in the Administrative Systems of Iran and the European Union

Abstract

In contemporary public law, good governance is associated not only with managerial efficiency but also with the principles of administrative law governing the organization and limitation of public power. This study comparatively examines the legal status of good governance in the administrative systems of Iran and the European Union in terms of normative foundations, institutional safeguards, and enforcement mechanisms. Using a descriptive-analytical method and a comparative legal approach, the study examines sources of administrative law in Iran and the European Union, as well as selected judicial and administrative standards, while employing governance indicators only as supplementary evidence. In the European Union, a substantial proportion of the components of good administration and good governance have been formulated in the form of procedural rights, general principles of law, and institutional standards. In Iran, significant constitutional and statutory capacities also exist with respect to the rule of law, equality, transparency, judicial review, accountability, and the protection of individual rights; however, these capacities are more fragmented and uneven in terms of legal and institutional coherence. The principal difference between the two systems therefore lies not merely in performance indicators, but in the degree of legal and institutional coherence of the mechanisms supporting good governance. For Iran, drawing on the European experience requires, more than the transplantation of institutions, the systematic strengthening of shared principles of administrative law and enforceable legal safeguards.