An Appraisal of the European Commission of Crisis


Book Description

Has the Juncker Commission delivered a “new start” for EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) policies? This book examines the question in relation to the performance of the European Commission's intra-institutional setting while taking stock of the most relevant legislative developments and acts in the EU Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) from 2014 up to the end of 2018. These developments are critically assessed in view of the rule of law and fundamental rights standards enshrined in the Treaties and the EU's Better Regulation commitments. The book argues that this has been the Commission of crisis and that the 'politics of crisis' have not benefited the Juncker Commission overall. They have allowed for greater intergovernmentalism, rule of law backsliding, informalisation and exceptionalism in EU AFSJ policies. The book puts forward a set of policy priorities for the next Commission term from mid-2019. It recommends unequivocally placing EU founding principles first - rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy - as these reinforce each other and work together in safeguarding the constitutional core of the EU and its member states. They are also key ingredients for ensuring the legitimation and credibility of European integration and maintaining social trust.




Framing Convergence with the Global Legal Order


Book Description

This interdisciplinary book explores the concept of convergence of the EU with the global legal order. It captures the actions, law-making and practice of the EU as a cutting-edge actor in the world promoting convergence 'against the grain'. In a dynamic 'twist' the book uses methodology to reflect upon some of the most dramatically changing dimensions of current global affairs. Questions explored include: who and what are the subjects and objects of convergence as to the EU and the world? How do 'court-centric' and less 'court-centric' approaches differ? Can we use political science and international relations as 'service tools'? Four key themes are probed: - framing EU convergence; - global trade against convergence; - the EU as the exceptional internationalist; and - positioning convergence through methodology.




Law and Judicial Dialogue on the Return of Irregular Migrants from the European Union


Book Description

This volume examines the implementation of the Return Directive from the perspective of judicial dialogue. While the role of judges has been widely addressed in European asylum law and EU law more generally, their role in EU return policy has hitherto remained under explored. This volume addresses the interaction and dialogue between domestic judiciaries and European courts in the implementation of European return policy. The book brings together leading authors from various backgrounds, including legal scholars, judges and practitioners. This allows the collection to offer theoretical and practical perspectives on important questions regarding the regulation of irregular migration in Europe, such as: what constitutes inadequate implementation of the Directive and under which conditions can judicial dialogue solve it? How can judges ensure that the right balance is struck between effective return procedures and fundamental rights? Why do we see different patterns of judicial dialogue in the Member States when it comes to particular questions of return policy, for example regarding the use of detention? These questions are more timely than ever given the shifting public discourse on immigration and the growing political backlash against immigration courts. This book will be essential reading for all scholars and practitioners in the fields of immigration law and policy, EU law and public law.




Europe in 12 Lessons


Book Description




Beyond ‘Ever Closer Union’


Book Description

With novel insights into the ambitions and objectives behind President Jean-Claude Juncker’s European Commission, this innovative book elucidates how the Commission has transcended the concept of ‘ever closer union’ in its attempts to adopt a future-proof EU reform agenda in the highly contested fields of migration and economic policy.




Reinforcing Rule of Law Oversight in the European Union


Book Description

This book provides an analysis of key approaches to rule of law oversight in the EU and identifies deeper theoretical problems.




Differentiated Integration


Book Description

Far from displaying a uniform pattern of integration, the European Union varies significantly across policy areas, institutional development and individual countries. Why do some policies such as the Single Market attract non-EU member states, while some member states choose to opt out of other EU policies? In answering these questions, this innovative new text provides a state-of-the-art introduction to the study of European integration. The authors introduce the most important theories of European integration and apply these to the trajectories of key EU policy areas – including the single market, monetary policy, foreign and security policy, and justice and home affairs. Arguing that no single theory offers a completely convincing explanation of integration and differentiation in the EU, the authors put forward a new analytical perspective for describing and explaining the institutions and policies of the EU and their development over time. Written by a team of prominent scholars in the field, this thought-provoking book provides a new synthesis of integration theory and an original way of thinking about what the EU is and how it works.




Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2015


Book Description

The sixteenth edition of Social policy in the European Union: state of play has a triple ambition. First, it provides easily accessible information to a wide audience about recent developments in both EU and domestic social policymaking. Second, the volume provides a more analytical reading, embedding the key developments of the year 2014 in the most recent academic discourses. Third, the forward-looking perspective of the book aims to provide stakeholders and policymakers with specific tools that allow them to discern new opportunities to influence policymaking. In this 2015 edition of Social policy in the European Union: state of play, the authors tackle the topics of the state of EU politics after the parliamentary elections, the socialisation of the European Semester, methods of political protest, the Juncker investment plan, the EU’s contradictory education investment, the EU’s contested influence on national healthcare reforms, and the neoliberal Trojan Horse of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).




EU Law in Populist Times


Book Description

A state-of-the-art analysis of the contentious areas of EU law that have been put in the spotlight by populism.




Regroup and Reform


Book Description

CEPS is an independent policy research institute based in Brussels. Its mission is to produce sound analytical research leading to constructive solutions to the challenges facing Europe today. This report is based on discussions in the CEPS Task Force on EU Reform.