Reforming the Treaty on European Union: The Legal Debate

The studies collected in this work are the updated and revised versions of the reports and commentaries presented at an international conference on European Law held in September 1995. The aim of the conference was to stimulate informed reflection and debate on a number of fundamental issues relating to the impending revision of the Treaty on European Union and to discuss the sort of sensible legal options and realistic avenues of thought that could assist those involved with the work of the actual Intergovernmental Council (IGC). The contributions are grouped around three major themes: an exploration of the framework of the revision debate; general institutional questions; the general architecture of the Union and the scope of the powers of the Community and the Union. Questions that are addressed in this work are among others: Is it possible in the near future to simplify the procedure for amending the Treaty on European Union? Is the objective of the European Union in the long-term to become a European superstate, a constitutional order of States or merely an advanced type of international organization? What are the chances and pitfalls of allowing increased differentiated integration? The book concludes with a comprehensive summing-up and annexed are the Reflection Group's Report of 5 December 1995 as well as an extensive table of legal provisions and a table of cases.