Constitutional Politics in the European Union: The Convention Moment and its Aftermath (Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics)

this Volume Examines The Making Of The Constitutional Treaty Of The European Union. It Does So By Paying Attention To The Way In Which The Political Actors Operated Within The Convention, By Analysing Civil Society's Input, And By Tracking The Development Of The Constitutional Text Beyond The Convention Itself, Through The Igc Process And Within The Eu Legal System. In Discussing The European Experience, The Authors Also Address The Question Of Whether Its Transnational Character Represents A New Development For The Theory Of Constitution Making. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction: a Convention Without a Constitution?....Pages 1-6 Front Matter....Pages 7-10 Constitutional Politics in the European Union....Pages 11-25 Constitutional Moment or Constitutional Process?....Pages 26-45 Front Matter....Pages 47-50 The Convention on the Future of Europe and its Antecedents....Pages 51-73 Membership, Representation and Accountability....Pages 74-89 The ‘Convention Method’....Pages 90-111 Front Matter....Pages 113-117 The Language Regime of the Convention....Pages 118-136 Gender Equality in the Constitution-Making Process....Pages 137-152 The Participation of Civil Society....Pages 153-169 The Contribution of Business Interests....Pages 170-185 The Debate on European Values....Pages 186-204 Front Matter....Pages 205-208 The Convention and the ‘Living Law’ of the European Union....Pages 209-228 Conclusion: From the Convention to the Referendums and Beyond....Pages 229-253 Back Matter....Pages 255-292 Constitutional Politics in the European Union examines the 'Convention on the Future of Europe' and its impact on the process of European constitutionalization. The Convention's efforts, however, have not yet materialised into a Constitution. So, this was a Convention without a Constitution. Does it matter? The purpose of this book is to show that it may not, or at least not in the sense that many think. It is one of the central contentions of this book that the Convention itself - how it operated and what it represented - is an important 'moment' in the open-ended and contested process of creating a stable constitutional order in the EU. Although the Convention did not result in a constitution, it succeeded in opening up a public constitutional debate; a debate which may contribute to determine the future of the European Union Zbrani prispevki ponujajo bralcu analize primerov evropske zunanje politike na raznih, pogosto tudi zapostavljenih področjih in regijah v svetu. Poskušajo oceniti moč in vpliv Evropske unije v tujini v zadnjih letih, obenem pa analizirati dva v procesu evropske politične integracije jasno opredeljiva nasprotna trenda: politično zbliževanje držav članic in stalnost globokih razlik med nacionalnimi interesi. Pojavnost Evropske unije v svetovnem merilu in značilnosti ter omejitve evropske mednarodne vloge so prikazane v luči mednarodnega sistema, političnih velesil, reševanja političnih sporov in regionalnih politik EU Offices in Brussels representing the interests of regional actors in the EU have carved out a niche position within Europe's expanding multi-level political system. They are now the most visible indicators of the growing role played by EU regions. How can we understand their contribution to EU governance? What do they deliver to Europe's regions? What will be the future of security cooperation in Europe after the Bush Administration? This work explores security challenges confronting Europe, from relations with the United States and Russia to the use of military force and the struggle against terrorism. It shows that European states will increasingly act alone, independent of America This volume examines the 'Convention on the Future of Europe' as a moment of European constitutional politics. It discusses the contested nature of constitutional politics in the EU, and how the Convention dealt with these issues. The book also assesses the Convention's aftermath.