Reconciling the Deepening and Widening of the European Union

The recent rounds of enlargement have stretched the operational capacity of the European Union to the maximum, triggering a debate on the final shape and borders of the EU and prompting the Member States to review the framework of primary law on the basis of the failed Constitutional Treaty. Reconciling the desire to deepen European integration in several policy fields with the promises made to widen the Union with the current candidate countries (Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey) once they meet all criteria for membership is a big challenge, especially in view of the EU's ambitions to match the US in economic growth, connect with its own citizens and claim its role as a global player. The contributions to this timely volume provide an attempt at clarifying the legal possibilities and limits of models and concepts aimed at reconciling wishes of further 'deepening' and 'widening' of the European Union project.

Table of Contents:
1. The European integration process: a continuum of 'deepening' and 'widening' Steven Blockmans and Sacha Prechal; 2. A diagnosis of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: remedies and reforms in the domains of immigration, terrorism and security Monica Den Boer; 3. 'Widening' vs. 'deepening' the European Union: free movement vs. social rights in the Laval case before the ECJ Norbert Reich; 4. Consolidating the enlargement agenda for South Eastern Europe Steven Blockmans; 5. Box of chocolates integration: the European Economic Area and the Swiss models revisited Adam Łazowski; 6. On the European Union's institutional capacity to cope with further enlargement Fabian Amtenbrink; 7. A flexible future for the European Union: the way forward or a way out? Andrea Ott; 8. Widen to deepen? The potential and limits of accession treaties to achieve EU constitutional reform Christophe Hillion; 9. Keynote speech Piet-Hein Donner; 10. Report of the discussions during the colloquium Karolien Pieters, Leonardo Massai and Tamara Takács.

About the Author :
Dr. Steven Blockmans is senior research fellow in EU law and deputy head of research at the T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague. Prof. Dr Sacha Prechal is professor of European Law at the faculty of law of Utrecht University and one of the directors of the Europa Instituut.

Review :
'... a well-written edited book ... [It] is recommended to those readers who are interested in the constitutional legal order and the enlargement strategy of the European Union.' Turkish Weekly