Institutional Development Of EU Research Articles

The EU Council Presidency Dilemma: An Historical Institutionalist Interpretation

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the usefulness of taking into account the variable of EU institutional development when analysing the consequences of EU membership. Using an historical institutionalist perspective, the article examines the path of the Council Presidency since its origins and argues that five decades of institutional feedback have unexpectedly altered its nature. Originally conceived as an intergovernmental function, today the Presidency has become hybrid and increasingly identified with the Community interests. This process of institutional conversion has essentially limited the scope of action of the member states.

Change and Stability of the EU Institutional System: the Communitarization of the Council Presidency

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the usefulness of taking into account the variable of EU institutional development when analysing the dilemma of the Council Presidency in terms of role conception. Using a historical institutionalist perspective, the article examines the path of the EU Council Presidency since its origins and argues that five decades of institutional feedback have altered its nature. Originally conceived as an intergovernmental function, today the Presidency is identified increasingly with the defence of Community interests. This process of institutional conversion has essentially limited the scope of action of the member states.

The European Parliament and European Union Security and Defence Policy

Acquisition of co-decisional authority in home and foreign affairs was a significant turning point in the institutional history of the European Parliament (EP). The EP has become, as a result, the driver behind the EU's institutional development and adaptation to its changing international environment. The increasing confluence of CFSP/ESDP issue areas with the issue areas of EU enlargement illustrates the significance of the EP's participation. The relevant deliberations of the Convention on the Future of Europe also reflect this development. The EP is, through its Members, the EU organ closest to the blurry frontier between the (EU) ‘system’ and its (international) ‘environment’.

Models of Democracy

Most current debate about the democratic deficit equates democracy with party government and popular direction of policy (popular sovereignty). Alternative conceptions of democracy, pluralist or veto-group liberalism, are more consistent with European political and social circumstances and with EU institutions. After developing the difference between popular sovereignty and liberal models of democracy, the paper uses data from a survey of members of the European Parliament and members of the national parliaments in the EU to show that MP orientations with respect to these democratic values contribute significantly to explaining their evaluations of the quality of EU democracy and their preferences for EU institutional development.

Особенности институционального развития ЕС

Особенности институционального развития ЕС