Constitutionalizing the European Union - Hardback

Constitutional issues have topped a challenging agenda for the European Union at the start of the twenty-first century, intertwining with other issues to generate both high aspirations and serious setbacks and even, on occasion, a sense of crisis for the European project. In this important new text, Thomas Christiansen and Christine Reh look behind the headlines to provide an in-depth and systematic account of the formal and informal dynamics of constitution building in Europe. They introduce the various actors involved in the process, examine the structural opportunities and constraints on constitutional choice, and take the reader through the different stages of EU treaty reform from agenda-setting to ratification. Having charted the trajectory of constitutionalization in the EU, the authors conclude with a discussion of recent developments and future prospects.

Introduction: The Constitutionalization of Europe Of Rights and Duties: Does Europe Have a Constitution? Constitutionalizing the European Union: Politics, Law and Discourse The Role of Actors in EU Treaty Reform Patterns of Structure in EU Treaty Reform Agenda-Setting in Intergovernmental Conferences Decision-Making in Intergovernmental Conferences Ratification: The Follow-Up to Intergovernmental Conferences The 'Rise' and 'Fall' of Formal Constitutionalization Conclusion: Constitutionalization Beyond Lisbon