Studies in EU Reform and Enlargement series – serie

How have the main institutions and decision-making processes of the EU responded to the arrival of new member states? This book assesses the actual state of the EU institutions in the years after the 2004 enlargement, examining each of the main institutional actors as well as trends in legislative output, implementing measures and non-legislative approaches. The contributors outline the key changes as well as patterns of continuity in the institutional politics of the EU.The analysis finds that breakdown has been avoided by a combination of assimilation of the new member states and adaptation of the system, without any fundamental transformation of the institutions. Nonetheless, they conclude that it is not just 'business as usual'. The streamlining and formalization of procedures, together with increased informal practices, has implications for transparency and accountability. Widening has not prevented deepening of European integration, but it has deepened normative concerns about the democratic legitimacy of that process which will remain very much on the agenda of the enlarged EU.This nuanced approach to the complexities of studying institutional politics and change contains important new and original data. As such it will be invaluable for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students of EU politics and administrative science, as well as researchers, practitioners and journalists working in the fields of European studies more widely.

As a consequence of various rounds of EU enlargements, the degree of cultural diversity in Europe has intensified - a phenomenon which is increasingly perceived as problematic by many EU citizens. This fascinating book not only empirically explores the current state of the identity and the legitimacy of the EU as viewed by its citizens, but also evaluates their attitudes towards it. The expert contributors show that the development of a European identity and a common European culture is a prerequisite for European integration; that European identity and a common political culture will not develop rapidly but emerge slowly, and that the beginnings of a European identity and a common European culture are currently emerging. The roles of civil society organizations and political parties are examined within this context, and an explanatory model with subjective predictors of the attitudes towards the EU is tested. The empirical analysis is underpinned by a theoretical framework incorporating operational definitions and conceptual discussion of legitimacy and identity. This intriguing and thought-provoking book will be of great interest to academics, researchers and students focusing on political science and international relations.

This book brings together the research of different academic disciplines to explore the recent transformation of governance in the European Union.The emergence, execution and evolution of new modes of EU governance across several policy fields encompassing all three former pillars of the European Union are mapped, analyzed and evaluated. In particular, the contributors focus on the ways in which these innovative mechanisms and practices relate to old methods of governance and what their implications are for both the effectiveness and efficiency of policy-making. Particular attention is devoted to the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the shape of EU governance. Conclusions are drawn in the form of an integrated framework that explores the dynamics and differentiation of EU governance.Linking research on modes of governance to the analysis of the basic legal, institutional and procedural features of the EU up to the Lisbon Treaty, this book will prove useful reading for scholars, researchers and policy-makers in the fields of European studies, law and economics, and political science and theory.Contributors: H. Bahr, K. Dezseri, U. Diedrichs, G. Falkner, J. Monar, D. Natali, A. Peters, W. Reiners, C. Shaw, O. Treib, K. Vida, W. Wessels