integration 3/2013
In this issue of integration Axel Schäfer and Fabian Schulz analyse the content, the formation and the significance of the Participation Act EUZBBG for the German Bundestag. In addition, the issue offers an analysis of the comitology’s fundamental reform since the entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty. Furthermore, it deals with the question, whether Europe’s national debt crisis is a crisis of European integration. Considering the EU’s current internal and external challenges and the situation in Irland, the journal takes a glance at Ireland’s seventh EU Council Presidency.
Swirling Down or Constructive Crises? The History of Crises in Decision-Making along European Integration
Hartmut Kaelble
The European Union has undergone a severe crisis since 2007. This crisis is not only of a financial, economic and public debt matter but in fact is it a severe crisis of European integration. The time of urgent rescue measures, however, seems to have been overcome but any mistaken decision might potentially revive the crisis. Under the circumstances of this uncertainty, the article compares the current crisis with other crises in the long history of European integration crises and discusses what is new about it and which patterns have been repeated. Based on three crisis narratives (crises swirling down, periodical crises and constructive crises) the author presents a typology of crises of European integration and thereby, identifies four necessary conditions for constructive crises.
Irland’s 7th Presidency of the European Union: Reputation Building and Recovery
Brigid Laffan
On January 1st 2013, Ireland assumed the Presidency of the Council for the 7th time. Taking over the responsibilities of the Presidency coincided with the 40th anniversary of Ireland’s accession to the European Union in 1973. Ireland’s 7th Presidency was challenging. First, Ireland found itself in the unenviable position of being a ‘programme country’ having had to request a bail-out from the other Euro states and IMF in November 2010. Second, this presidency was conducted under the rules of the Lisbon Treaty which made substantial changes in the role and prerogatives of the rotating presidency. Ireland has always prided itself on running efficient and effective presidencies and achieving tangible negotiating outcomes. This presidency had the added priority of completing the repairs to Ireland’s battered reputation following the crisis. Beyond the presidency, Ireland’s future prosperity in the Euro zone depends on a return to growth and on euro area that has addressed the design faults in Euro zone.
The Reform of Comitology with and after the Lisbon Treaty: The End Of The World As We Know It?
Annette Elisabeth Töller
With and after the Lisbon Treaty Comitology experienced a surprisingly radical reform of which the winner seems to be the Commission. Most observers, however, expect the ECJ to draw a difficult line between Art. 290 and 291 TFEU. The question is why such a radical reform on treaty level was possible at all while the reform of comitology rules on a lower level turned out to be so little radical. In answering this question, rational-choice explanations conceptualizing community institutions and Member States as fully rational actors do not get very far while approaches including cultural factors and unintended consequences explain a lot more. Yet the puzzle remains how the introduction of delegated legislation including at least a partial abolition of comitology could survive two intergovernmental conferences without being withdrawn by the Member States.
The Europeanisation of the Bundestag – on the Reform of the Accompanying Law EUZBBG
Axel Schäfer and Fabian Schulz
The participation of the German Bundestag in European affairs has become a topic of interest for scholars as well as for policy-makers since the German constitutional court’s verdict on the Lisbon Treaty. Decisions by the federal court and the financial crisis made Europe a crucial issue in the debates of the German parliament. A set of participatory rights has been established to ensure parliamentary legitimacy and a decisive role of the elected deputies. The most important law is the accompanying-act EUZBBG which has been reformed in summer 2013. This article deals with its creation, its content in particular and the role it might play in the upcoming years.
Literatur
Markus Hesse
Interdisziplinäre Betrachtungen europäischer und internationaler Weltraumpolitik
ARBEITSKREIS EUROPÄISCHE INTEGRATION
Claudia Hefftler und Linda Dieke
Nationale Parlamente in der Europäischen Union: Demokratie im Mehrebenensystem der EU
Frédéric Krumbein und Julian Plottka
Die Zusammenarbeit der Polizei in Europa: rechtlicher Rahmen, Forschungsstand und Perspektiven