European Union

22
Apr
2024

The EU Budget and its Conditionalities*

Abstract

Conditional grants are also often seen as an instrument to reduce constituent units’ policy autonomy in federal systems. Conditional grant programmes also play an important role in policy-making in the EU. Cohesion Policy as an example of an EU public policy which has experienced a significant rise in conditionality instruments over recent decades. However, their use is controversial, as not all member states are affected by the set conditions in the same way which may undermining solidarity. Especially in federal and decentralised countries the autonomy of constituent units has been progressively limited. The constituent units are the main beneficiaries of EU cohesion policy, but they are not involved in decision-making on conditionalities and cannot be held accountable for compliance with all of them.

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Posted by Mario Kölling in Case Studies, Policies, 0 comments
08
Mar
2022

Post-Brexit Northern Ireland: Between Two Unions

Abstract

The UK’s withdrawal from the EU posed a significant challenge to the progress that had been achieved in Northern Ireland –one of the most impoverished post-conflict societies in Europe. Brexit could raise significant frictions along the territorial border between the two sides of Ireland and its all-island economy. If the UK had decided to remain in the single market and the EU customs union after Brexit, the vast majority of these challenges would have been avoided. However, since Theresa May’s Lancaster House speech, it became clear that the UK would not be part of the single market and the customs union after Brexit took place. So, the negotiations for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU were haunted by an almost unsolvable riddle.  How could the UK and the EU keep the Irish border free of any physical infrastructure without jeopardising the integrity of the EU single market?

 

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Posted by Nikos Skoutaris in Case Studies, 0 comments
19
Oct
2021

Covid-19 and Federal Integration in the European Union

Abstract

While all political systems have struggled with the coronavirus pandemic, this paper examines the ways in which the pandemic has affected the European integration project, particularly with respect to a quasi-federal system with shared competences in key policy areas shaping an effective Covid-19 response.  Previous crises are associated with increased European integration, especially along the lines of ‘federal integration’ – a concept model for interpreting European integration as a dynamic policymaking process.  This paper suggests that this observed link between crises and federal integration is being replicated with respect to European governance of the Covid-19 pandemic in several areas, including agencification, fiscal policy, and health policy.    These new policy approaches and instruments have – as has been the case with previous crises – strengthened the European integration project.

 

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Posted by Laurie Buonanno and Neill Nugent in Case Studies, 0 comments