The Division of Competences Between the EU and the Member States: Reflections on the Past, the Present and the Future
The issue of competence division is of fundamental importance as it
reflects the 'power bargain' struck between the Member States and their
Union, determining the limits of the authority of the EU as well as the
limits of the authority of the Member States. It defines the nature of
the EU as a polity, as well as the identity of the Member States. After
over six years since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, 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. This book asks whether 'the
competence problem' has finally been solved. Given the fundamental
importance of this question, this publication will be of interest to a
wide audience, from constitutional and substantive EU law scholars to
practitioners in the EU institutions and EU legal practice more
generally.