Which European Union for the 21st century?
assessing reform options
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60054/PEU.2018.5.60-69Keywords:
institutions, European Union, reform, adequacy, efficiencyAbstract
A plethora of reforms was proposed in the last years to solidify European integration and address existential challenges within the EU. Some claim that more integration is the answer, whilst others insist that the European Union needs more of ‘variable geometry’. Current key reform proposals and suggested approaches are examined from three perspectives – efficiency, adequacy, and legitimacy. The three perspectives are used to deliver a holistic and comprehensive analysis of the proposals within a theoretical framework of institutional sustainability. Using these perspectives, the paper is going to illustrate how proposed reforms appear to be logically inconsistent and/or strategically misaligned. The paper proposes an outline of key reform issues to guide further the EU-wide debate.
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