Against a backcloth of tumultuous events in Europe, the EU faces once again the fateful question of moving towards federal union or let flexible integration guide the Union. The sixth volume in Interdisciplinary European Studies explores the coexistence of deepening political integration and flexible patterns of integration in the EU. The book brings together scholars from economics, law, and political science to provide insights into issues with a bearing on the future of the EU: the crisis of rule of law and political values, the move towards a European defence union, the power of the new European public prosecutor’s office, the prospects of financial stability through the Recovery and Resilience facility, and the state of European parliamentary democracy. The chapters are based on up-to-date research findings and succinct assessments of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates. They conclude with policy recommendations for decision-makers on European and national levels.
Author(s): Antonina Bakardjieva Engelbrekt, Per Ekman, Anna Michalski, Lars Oxelheim
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 291
City: Cham
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 The Road Ahead for the European Union: Between Federal Union and Flexible Integration
Introduction
Integration to Achieve Union: A Process Fraught with Difficulties
The Constant Tension Between Supranationalism and Intergovernmentalism
Enlargement: A Driving Force Towards Deepening or Towards Fragmentation?
Gauging the Future Direction of European Integration
References
2 Democracy in Europe: Enlarged But Eroding—A Union in Existential Crisis
The EU, Democratic Institutions, and Peaceful Relations
The Enlargement of the Union and the Expansion of Democracy
The Enlargement of the Union and the Erosion of Democracy
Autocratization Within the EU
The Union at a Crossroads
Is the Union Moving Towards Flexible Integration?
Working for Exclusion
References
3 Rule of Law Crisis: EU in Limbo Between Federalism and Flexible Integration
Introduction
The Significance of the Rule of Law for the EU
The Rule of Law as a Crisis
Political Tools
Legal Tools
Financial Tools
EU in Limbo Between Federalism and Flexible Integration
The Way Out of Limbo: To Fully Apply Existing Tools
References
4 Parliament as an Arena for Opposition in EU Politics: Wasteland or Conflict Zone?
Democracy, Political Opposition, and Parliament
Two Theses Concerning Opposition in EU Politics
Examining Political Opposition
How Much Opposition is There in EU Politics?
How Does the Incidence of Opposition Vary Between Parties of Different Types?
Is Opposition Concentrated in Certain Policy Areas?
The Isolated Conflict Zone
The Way Forward—Institutional Reforms or Democratic Leadership?
References
5 European Stabilisation Policy After the COVID-19 Pandemic: More Flexible Integration or More Federalism?
Introduction
Crises and Stabilisation Policy
Stabilisation Policy in the European Union
Period 1: The First years of the Euro 1999–2008
Period 2: Global Financial Crisis 2008–2010
Period 3: The European Debt Crisis and Recovery 2010–2019
Period 4: COVID-19 Pandemic: Initial Steps Towards a Common Fiscal Policy 2021
Summary of the Four Periods
The Future Stabilisation Policy of the European Union
Alternative 1. The EU as a Complete Fiscal Union
Alternative 2. The EU as a Union Based on Risk-Sharing
Alternative 3. A European Union Based on Flexibility and National Fiscal Preparedness
Conclusions: A Flexible EU Prepared to Meet Future Crises
References
6 EU State Aid Policy: Concealed Transfer of Competences?
Introduction
EU Powers and Legal Bases
EU State Aid Rules
Tax Policy and State Aid
Industrial Policy and State Aid
Housing Policy and State Aid
EU Needs More Balanced Powers
Conclusion
References
7 Are Federal Taxation Requirements Moving the EU Away from Flexible Integration?
Introduction
International Tax Developments
The Approach to Tax Competition
G7 and G20 Countries Strike a Deal on Taxes and Some 140 Countries Join
Recovery and Resilience Facility
A Unilateral Digital Tax in the EU
Public Country-by-Country Reporting
Commission Communication on the Need for Qualified Majority Decision-Making in the Field of Taxation
Proposal to Introduce Majority Decisions on the Implementation of Certain VAT Rules
Federal Taxes or Common Tax Design
Conclusions: Federalism in Taxation Faces Stiff Headwind
References
8 A Federal European Prosecution Authority: From Vision to Reality?
Introduction
Scope of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office Powers Pursuant to the EPPO Regulation and Article 86 TFEU
Nature and Type of the European Public Prosecutor’s Powers
Management and Operation of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office
How Does Eppo Threaten National Sovereignty?
Accountability and Legitimacy of the EPPO
Is EPPO a Suitable Model for a More ‘Federal’ System of EU Criminal Law?
EPPO—Flexible Integration and Enhanced Cooperation
Towards a Strong But Accountable European Public Prosecutor’s Office
References
9 European Defence Policy: Between Flexible Integration and a Defence Union
Introduction
Similarities and Differences Between a Defence Union and Flexible Integration in the Defence Field
Regulations, Actors, and Decision-Making Processes
Common Threat Assessment
Common Capacities and Joint Financing
Common and Jointly Led Forces
A Common Headquarter
Defence Guarantees and the Relationship to nato and the us
Has the eu Become a Defence Union?
References
10 A More Equal Europe: A Prerequisite or a Consequence of Increased Federalism?
Introduction
The Lisbon Strategy and EU Social Indicators
Income Trends in the EU—What Has Happened Since the 2004 Enlargement?
Income Distribution and Poverty Within EU Countries
Developments in the EU Compared to the US
Future Indicators and Targets for Social Cohesion in the EU
Does the EU Need to Become a Federation to Achieve Its Social Cohesion Goals?
References
11 The State of European Integration: Where Does the EU Stand and in What Direction Is It Heading?
Introduction
Flexible Integration: Political Will and Ability to Take Action
An Ambiguous Constitutionalization of the Union
The Dynamic of European Integration: Towards Unity or Disunity?
References
Index
