Tillväxt har länge stått högt på den europeiska agendan, bland annat genom den så kallade Europa 2020-strategin och mer nyligen tillväxt- och sysselsättningspakten. Initiativen är många, men de leder inte nödvändigtvis till ökad tillväxt.
Energy has always had a prominent place in the European integration process. And yet, the establishment of an EU energy policy is relatively recent, particularly in its external dimension.
Sveriges förmåga att snabbt och effektivt införa EU:s regler i svensk rätt har varierat genom åren. En relativt stor andel av klagomål på och rättsprocesser mot Sverige gäller just förseningar och andra brister i genomförande av EU-regler. Eftersom EU har skärpt sanktionsreglerna för länder som släpar efter kan det bli dyrt.
Even though the Lisbon Treaty has made the rotating Council Presidencies less politically relevant, the country holding the presidency during six months still has an important role to fill. For Denmark, holding the presidency during the first half of 2012, the ongoing crisis in the Eurozone has posed particular challenges.
Cyprus assumed the EU presidency in the midst of the economic crisis. The presidency has been a challenging task, not the least since Cyprus itself has been severely hit by the crisis and is subject to austerity measures
The Swedish model of Government administration – with independent authorities and a comparatively small Government Office – differs from the model common in most other EU member states. Whether the Swedish model is appropriate in the context of the EU has therefore been a topic of discussion since Sweden became a member of the European Union
The political consequences of the euro crisis are considerabe. The role of the Eurogroup has been strengthened, with a corresponding widening of the gap between the Eurozone and other EU Member States.
The new Hungarian Constitution – that entered into force in January 2012 – has faced widespread international criticism. This analysis intends to explain why that is the case and views the debate from a legal and constitutional perspective.
The Greek general election of 6 May 2012 resulted in strong electoral support for political parties other than those traditionally in power. It confirmed a widespread discontent with the austerity policies, but still a majority of the voters expressed a desire to remain a member of the Eurozone.
Remaining problems with corruption in Bulgaria and Romania have prompted the EU to introduce the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM). This mechanism is to extend EU leverage into the post-accession period with the aim of triggering necessary reforms.