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The proposed enlargement of the European Union to include countries from Central and Eastern Europe has become an important political issue. Widening the European Union focuses on those institutional reforms of the Union that may be necessary to make the enlargement possible. The institutional structure, originally designed for the Union of just six states, might not be suitable for a EU of twenty-seven or more member states. An overview of current rational choice theories of institutional change is provided before the volume focuses on several aspects of institutional reforms in the Union. Widening the European Union contains contributions from a distinguished team of European academics. This book is a valuable resource to students of the European Union with an interest in its politics and policy, enlargement and institutional reform.
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RECTO RUNNING HEAD Widening the European Union The enlargement of the European Union to include countries from Central and Eastern Europe has become an important political issue. Widening the European Union focuses on those institutional reforms of the union that may be necessary to make the enlargement possible. The institutional structure, originally designed for a union of just six states, might not be suitable for a EU of twentyseven or more member states. An overview of rational choice theories of institutional change is provided before the volume focuses on several aspects of institutional reforms in the Union. Issues discussed include: • The EU’s decision-making process. • The role of the Council in connection with the Euopean Commission and the European Parliament. • The EU’s budget procedure and the arrangements used in the European Monetary Union. • How the EU could maintain the momentum of integration after enlargement. Widening the European Union contains contributions from a distinguished team of European academics. This makes this book a valuable resource to students of the European Union with an interest in its politics and policy, enlargement and institutional reform. Bernard Steunenberg is Professor of Public Administration at Leiden University, the Netherlands. His research interests include the role which political institutions play in the initiation, adoption and implementation of public policy, particularly in the context of the European Union. Routledge advances in European politics 1 Russian Messianism Third Rome, Revolution, Communism and after Peter J. S. Duncan 2 European Integration and the Postmodern Condition Governance, democracy, identity Peter van Ham 3 Nationalism in Italian Politics The stories of the Northern League, 1980–2000 Damian Tambini 4 Uncertain Europe Building a new European security order Edited by Graham Timmins and Martin Smith 5 Widening the European Union The politics of institutional change and reform Edited by Bernard Steunenberg 6 Institutional Challenges in the European Union Edited by Madeleine Hosli, Adrian van Deemen and Mika Widgrén 7 Europe Unbound Enlarging and reshaping the boundaries of the European Union Edited by Jan Zielonka Widening the European Union The politics of institutional change and reform Edited by Bernard Steunenberg London and New York First published 2002 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. © 2002 Bernard Steunenberg All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, in