The Division of Competences in the EU Legal Order: a Post-Lisbon Assessment
Seven years since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, bringing an end to the decade-long debate on the Future of Europe, it is high time to take stock of whether the reforms that were adopted to make the Union’s system of division of competences between the EU Member States clearer, more coherent, and better at containing European integration, have been successful. In other words, has ‘the competence problem’ finally been solved?
If the conclusion is (as it is) that this is not the case, it is even higher time to reflect on the causes and consequences of these failures and on alternative approaches to achieve the aims of paramount importance that the system of competence division purports to pursue, namely to respect national identity, subsidiarity and self-determination. Maybe this will entail a fundamental questioning of the role that competences have to play in this regard. Are ‘competences’ perhaps a red herring, distracting jurists and others from the real (power) issues at play?
To be meaningful, these issues are to be examined not only in a legalistic way, but against the complex contemporary background of increasing Euroscepticism (with a possible exit from the EU by the UK), an unstable Euro-zone governed by controversial austerity measures and an unprecedented influx of refugees putting both European and global solidarity to the test. What is the role of competence division in that context?
The aim of the 1.5 day conference was to bring together a mix of scholars and practitioners, to reflect and exchange views on the issues as set out above.
This conference was open to the public upon registration and payment of fees of €100, PhD students discount.
Contact: Valerie HAUSPIE