National Parliaments Within The Enlarged European Union: From 'victims' Of Integration To Competitive Actors? (routledge Advances In European Politics)

This book presents a wide range of perspectives on the role of national parliaments in EU politics and policy-making. Many accounts of the role of national parliaments portray them as passive victims of European integration. This study instead examines their role within the EU policy-making process, looking at efforts to address perceived democratic and information ‘deficits'. Bringing together leading scholars in the fields of European studies, public policy analysis, and legislative research, this new volume provides: a thorough and wide-ranging synthetic analysis of the position of national parliaments within the EU policy-making structures a range of detailed country studies, including for the first time an analysis of the new member state parliaments in Central and Eastern Europe an analysis of the significant changes to the position of national parliaments brought about by the recent Convention process and the provisions of the EU’s Constitutional Treaty. Making an important contribution to an emerging comparative literature on the parliamentary dimension to EU public policy-making, National Parliaments within the Enlarged European Union will interest students and researchers in the fields of European integration, EU politics, and public policy analysis. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Illustrations......Page 10 Contributors......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 15 Abbreviations......Page 16 1 Introduction: Deparliamentarization and European integration......Page 18 Part I: National parliaments and European integration......Page 44 2 Accountability through national parliaments: Practice and problems......Page 46 3 Interparliamentary cooperation within Europe......Page 63 4 European scrutiny in national parliaments: Individual efforts in the collective interest?......Page 83 5 National legislatures in the EU Constitutional Treaty......Page 96 Part II: National parliaments in the ‘old’ European Union......Page 110 6 The European Union in national parliaments: Domestic or foreign policy? A study of Nordic parliamentary systems......Page 112 7 South European national parliaments and the European Union: An inconsistent reactive revival......Page 133 8 The French Assemblée Nationale and the German Bundestag in the European Union: Towards convergence in the ‘old’ Europe?......Page 149 9 Scrutiny of EU legislation in the UK parliament: The first thirty years ... and beyond?......Page 180 10 Ireland: enhanced parliamentary scrutiny of European affairs: But is it effective?......Page 195 Part III: National parliaments in the new member states......Page 218 11 The Polish parliament and EU affairs: An effective actor or an accidental hero?......Page 220 12 The role of the Hungarian National Assembly in EU policy-making after accession to the Union: A mute witness or a true controller?......Page 237 13 The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia and EU affairs before and after accession......Page 258 14 Parliamentary involvement in the EU accession process: The Bulgarian experience......Page 272 15 Conclusion: National parliaments gradually learning to play the European game?......Page 289 Bibliography......Page 304 Index......Page 324 1. Introduction : Deparliamentarization And European Integration / John O'brennan And Tapio Raunio -- 2. Accountability Through National Parliaments : Practice And Problems / Muiris Maccarthaigh -- 3. Interparliamentary Cooperation Within Europe / Christina Bengtson -- 4. European Scrutiny In National Parliaments : Individual Efforts In The Collective Interest? / Philipp Kuver -- 5. National Legislatures In The Eu Constitutional Treaty / Tapio Raunio -- 6. The European Union In National Parliaments : Domestic Or Foreign Policy? : A Study Of Nordic Parliamentary Systems / Hans Hegeland -- 7. South European National Parliaments And The European Union : An Inconsistent Reactive Revival / Jose Magone. Edited By John O'brennan And Tapio Raunio. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [287]-305) And Index.