Europe Reloaded

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The European Union has come under pressure from different sides. First, it is undergoing a period of institutional and political reforms which are, however, progressing slowly. Secondly, its shape is being influenced decisively by the inclusion of new Member States. The guiding question of this book How far may the development of the EU be described and explained in relation to the two competing terms "differentiation" and "fusion"? The term "fusion," coined by Wolfgang Wessels, describes European integration as the dynamic process of more and more political tasks being exercised by the EC/EU, as a result of the insufficiency of national capacities to act independently in a time of interdependent problems and structures. However, this development is accompanied by a process of growing institutional and procedural differentiation and complexity of the EU system. Each chapter of the book analyzes the interrelation between the two central dynamics of "fusion" and "differentiation" in the EU system. The key terms "differentiation" and "fusion" are thus applied by high-ranking academics from across Europe with regard to European politics, policies, and the evolution of the European polity.