Stability and Differentiation in the European Union

Zwaan, Jaap W. De

ISBN 10: 946236785X / ISBN 13: 9789462367852

Verlag: Eleven International Publishing, NL, 2017

Beschreibung

This book analyses how the European Union should react to the threats and challenges it faces today.Europe's external problems concern first of all the geopolitical threats at its external borders, such as the Russia/Ukraine crisis, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the anti-democratic developments in Turkey and the unrest in Northern Africa; and secondly the challenges of refugee flows, terrorism, climate change and the changing relationship with the United States. Internally, the Union has to deal with the aftereffects of the economic crisis, the impact of migration on national societies, the rise of populism and `Brexit'.These threats and challenges can only be countered effectively through concerted action by the Member States. However, EU cooperation is essentially a voluntary process, while the abovementioned problems are politically highly sensitive issues. Moreover, for every step forward in the integration process consensus is required between all Member States. Yet such a consensus becomes more and more difficult to attain, due to the growing number of Member States and their increased heterogeneity.The author therefore presents several concrete proposals for more flexible and differentiated EU integration, such as new models of enhanced cooperation, the establishment of an EU SecurityCouncil, and the simplification of the ordinary treaty amendment procedure.

Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers LU-9789462367852

Bibliografische Details

• Titel: Stability and Differentiation in the European Union
• Verlag: Eleven International Publishing, NL
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2017
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN-10: 946236785X
• ISBN-13: 9789462367852
• Einband: Paperback
• Zustand: New

Über diesen Titel

Inhaltsangabe

In this publication it is analysed how the European Union (EU) can best react to the threats and challenges Europe is faced with these days.

The external problems concern first of all the geopolitical threats at the external borders, such as the Russia/Ukraine crisis, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the anti-democratic tendencies in Turkey and the unrest in Northern Africa. Other references are migration, combat of terrorism, climate change and -since Donald Trump took office- the relationship with the United States. The internal problems are related to the economic crisis, the impact migration has on national societies, populism and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU ('Brexit').

Common action to counter these threats and challenges is highly needed. However, EU cooperation is essentially a voluntary process, whereas the problems referred to concern politically highly sensitive issues. Moreover, new steps in the integration process require consensus between all the Member States. In view of the increasing number of Member States and the heterogeneity which has gradually arisen between them, such a requirement is difficult to attain.

Therefore, concrete proposals for more flexible and differentiated cooperation are presented. They vary from models of enhanced cooperation, the establishment of an EU Security Council, to simplification of the ordinary treaty amendment procedure.

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Jaap de Zwaan is emeritus Professor of European Union Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam and former Professor European Integration at The Hague University of Applied Sciences.