TY - RPRT A1 - van den Brink, Martijn T1 - An Inconvenient Constraint: A Hungarian Council Presidency and the EU’s Rule of Law N2 - On 1 July 2024, Hungary is set to take over the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Given the ongoing rule of law violations in Hungary, concrete proposals have been put forward to prevent it from exercising the Presidency. In this Policy Position, Martijn van den Brink analyzes the legal feasibility of these proposals and argues that the proposed EU measures violate the EU’s very own rule of law. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/an-inconvenient-constraint-a-hungarian-council-presidency-and-the-eus-rule-of-law ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jansen, Jannik A1 - Jäger, Philipp A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - For climate, profits, or resilience? Why, where and how the EU should respond to the Inflation Reduction Act N2 - The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has rekindled European fears of missing out in the global green technology race. However, EU member states still disagree on whether the greater risk lies in doing too much or too little. At heart, there remains significant confusion on which European sectors stand to lose competitiveness; how much the EU should fret about these losses; and whether there is a need for joint support from the EU level to avoid economic divergence. We take a first stab at the existing sectoral evidence. Our results suggest that the IRA will undercut European production costs in several sectors. This does not mean the EU must mimic the US program. However, it does mean that the EU needs to turn its piecemeal Green Deal Industrial Plan into a coherent strategy. This requires a greater focus on green industries in which Europe can develop a competitive edge and more joint financing at the EU level. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/ira-europe-response ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Rasche, Lucas T1 - The EU’s race for talent: Common challenge, no shared response N2 - Labour shortages are a common challenge for EU member states. Shortages in sectors vital to the green and digital transition risk attaining common objectives of the EU’s industrial strategy. But as much as the need to attract skilled workers is a shared concern, the EU lacks a common labour migration policy that lives up to the challenge. In this Policy Brief, Lucas Rasche argues that the EU’s current labour migration acquis is highly fragmented, underused, and largely detached from other policy areas. Hence the EU needs to structurally re-think its approach to labour migration for it to truly compete in the global race for talent. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/race-for-talent ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Sarmiento, Daniel A1 - van den Brink, Martijn ED - Kochenov, Dimitry ED - Surak, Kristin T1 - EU competence and investor migration T2 - Citizenship and Residence Sales: Rethinking the Boundaries of Belonging N2 - In this chapter, we examine the issue of competence to confer residence and citizenship based on a donation or investment in the light of international and European law as they stand today. We show that the national competence to do this is part of the sovereign nature of the modern state, which implies the ability to create a people and delimit the scope of the population granted a right to settle in the national territory, underpinned by rules behind such delimitation. We also explain why investment migration per se cannot be presented as unlawful and outlines the avenues for the eventual disciplining of its offshoots in areas unrelated to migration as such, thus connecting particularly well with Peter Spiro’s analysis of relevant international law. Y1 - 2023 SN - 9781108492874 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108675123.009 SP - 183 EP - 206 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Bellato, Federica A1 - Coraglia, Benedetta A1 - Guerra, Carolina A1 - Semenzato, Allegra T1 - “This time I’ve voted”, but am I represented? Addressing the underrepresentation of young Europeans through the adoption of youth quotas N2 - “Young people are at the heart of our policymaking and political priorities. We vow to listen to them, and we want to work together to shape the future of the European Union”, stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the celebrations of the 2022 European Year of Youth. Nevertheless, young generations today are underrepresented in European institutions and their interests risk being sidelined. For this reason, we advocate the introduction of youth quotas in the European Parliament. These should take the form of legislated candidate quotas. Our aim is to increase the number of young adults elected to match more closely the share of under-35 in Europe. Only in this way can we ensure that the distinct concerns of younger generations are being adequately heard and discussed in the decision-making arena. Y1 - 2022 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/youth-representation-european-parliament ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Rasche, Lucas T1 - The instrumentalisation of migration – how should the EU respond? N2 - The instrumentalisation of migration is back on the EU’s agenda. One year after Belarus instigated a migration crisis at its border with the EU, concerns emerge that Russia could instrumentalise a second exodus of Ukrainians to undermine the EU’s support to Kyiv. Member states’ recent failure to agree on the proposal for an Instrumentalisation Regulation should be an opportunity to revise the EU’s approach. In fact, the proposed Regulation would have done more harm than good. Two things need to happen for the EU to develop an effective response to the instrumentalisation of migration. First, the proposed Regulation should be amended to avoid the EU stepping into a “hypocrisy trap” by third countries seeking to expose the EU’s alleged double standards on fundamental rights. Second, the EU needs a revised migration diplomacy that addresses the structural factors facilitating the instrumentalisation of migration by third countries. Y1 - 2022 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/the-instrumentalisation-of-migration ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - The EU must not procrastinate on urgent audit market reforms N2 - After the Wirecard accounting scandal, the EU Commission promised to reform the rules for auditors. Now it must finally present them: The problems are clear and there are plenty of proposed solutions. Y1 - 2022 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/urgent-audit-reforms ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Ditching losers: Why the EU should end support for unviable hydrogen applications N2 - Green hydrogen has become a cornerstone of the EU's industrial policy and decarbonisation plans. The EU plans to spend billions in hydrogen subsidies and provide extensive legislative support. However, its current approach risks throwing good money after bad. Producing renewable hydrogen requires a lot of energy, which means hydrogen will always remain comparatively scarce and expensive. Consequently, many hydrogen applications do not make sense at scale, neither economically nor for the climate. Yet, the EU supports all hydrogen applications without sufficiently factoring in their prospects. This policy brief argues that the EU needs to start ditching losers. Hydrogen applications that are unlikely to be viable should not get public money. To enable the EU to filter out losers, the Commission needs to take a stronger guiding role and bolster its administrative capacities. Y1 - 2022 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/ditching-losers ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - The Green Deal agenda beyond Fit for 55: What the EU needs to tackle in 2023 N2 - The EU’s green agenda for 2023 is packed. Beyond finalising and implementing Fit for 55, the EU must react quickly to challenges that emerged recently and which put the climate objectives at risk. This policy position outlines four challenges that are particularly important, urgent and for which it remains unclear what the EU’s solution will look like: 1) Avoiding overcapacity of fossil fuel infrastructure; 2) Improving cross-border energy connections; 3) Reforming the electricity market; and 4) Keeping green technologies competitive in the EU. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/greendeal-agenda-beyond-fitfor55 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Rasche, Lucas T1 - The EU needs a new migration diplomacy N2 - The EU’s cooperation with third countries on migration disproportionally prioritises deterrence and return at the expense of other foreign policy objectives. Two reasons illustrate why this particularly problematic now. First, the EU relies on third countries to support its effort of further isolating the Russian regime for its war of aggression against Ukraine. And second, labour shortages require the EU to conclude partnerships with third countries on labour migration. The EU must hence revise its migration diplomacy. This requires shifting from a predominantly domestic agenda and short-term objectives to considering migration part of the EU’s wider geopolitical ambition and a better balance of priorities in cooperating with third countries. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/migration-diplomacy ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Lindner, Johannes A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - "It’s the politics, stupid” - don't squander this golden opportunity for reforming the fiscal rules N2 - On the reform of fiscal rules, the EU risks letting a once-in-a-decade opportunity slip. The time window for a successful reform is tight. And the Commission's current proposal is economically sound but politically overconfident. This risks drawing the Commission into political fights it cannot win, and would repeat some of the mistakes of the last reform process. At the same, current rules remain impossible to apply. Those who romanticize the old framework therefore need to realize that a retreat to the old system is not an option. The EU thus needs a compromise and needs it fast. To get there in the little time left, we propose four improvements: first, the system needs some numerical benchmarks for debt reduction in the adjustment period; second, it should include a clear definition of the scope of possible deviations through growth-oriented reforms and investments; third it should come with explicit carve-outs for national expenditures linked to some EU programs; and fourth, it needs credible enforcement through better ownership not only at the national but also at the European level. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/fiscal-rules-reform ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Get your priorities right – Europe must not underestimate the role of banks for the green transition N2 - EU policymakers and the financial sector have placed high hopes in forging a green capital markets union. However, the idea that capital markets could swiftly close the green investment gap ignores underlying financing structures. In Europe, the areas with the biggest funding needs rely on bank loans rather than financial markets and the recent banking turmoil is unlikely to change this. The reliance on banks will not abate any time soon as EU governments are dragging their heels on completing the capital markets union despite repeated promises. Since banks will largely finance the European green deal, the EU should step up its efforts to green the banking system and systematically make climate risks a core element of banking supervision, prudential regulation, and monetary policy. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/banks-role-for-green-transition ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian A1 - Findeisen, Francesco T1 - Do more with more – How the EU can improve funding for the European Green Deal N2 - Funding remains the Achilles heel of the EU Green Deal. Europe needs to spend an additional €350 billion on climate action every year until the end of this decade. The bulk of sustainable investment is expected to come from the private sector and the InvestEU programme has been established to leverage private investment through the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and other public financial institutions. However, overly ambitious target volumes backed by only limited public financial support, and the resultant high levels of leverage, prevent InvestEU from delivering its full potential for achieving the green transition. To plug the green investment gap, InvestEU needs to reduce its leverage, increase its transparency on intermediated operations and be complemented by fresh public spending at EU level to finance transformative investments that fall outside the scope of what public de-risking of private investments can achieve. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/european-green-deal-funding ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Rasche, Lucas T1 - Why the EU needs a re-think on labour migration N2 - Labour shortages are affecting member states across the EU, with the average EU job vacancy rate doubling between 2012 and 2022. These labour shortages may cause the EU’s most severe migration crisis yet, putting common EU objectives such as the green and industrial transitions at risk. In order to combat labour shortages and create a migration system fit for the future, the EU must focus on simplifying and harmonising its legal framework on labour migration, expanding migration opportunities to low- and medium-skilled workers, and aligning migration legislation with other policy objectives. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/why-the-eu-needs-a-radical-re-think-on-labour-migration ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Ostanina, Sascha T1 - Winning the Peace in Ukraine: Stimulating private investment for Ukraine’s reconstruction N2 - Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction represents a mammoth task. Its successful implementation will depend, inter alia, on Ukraine’s ability to attract private sector support for its reconstruction projects. To enhance the country’s investment attractiveness, the European Commission put forward a €50bn Ukraine Facility proposal for 2024-2027. Will this initiative suffice to uncover Ukraine’s investment potential? In this policy brief, Sascha Ostanina maps proposed EU investment incentives for Ukraine and analyses shortcomings in the current approach. Fine-tuning its assistance mechanisms requires the EU to help Ukraine set-up insurance mechanisms, expand sector-specific SME financing mechanisms, and to prioritise Ukraine’s access to the EU single market. Getting this right could not only mobilise private investment for Ukraine’s reconstruction, but also streamline Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/winning-the-peace-in-ukraine ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Findeisen, Francesco A1 - Wernert, Yann T1 - Meeting the costs of resilience: The EU's Critical Raw Materials Strategy must go the extra kilometer N2 - Europe's green transition is expected to generate a substantial increase in demand for critical raw materials (the same holds true for the digital transformation that lies outside this inquiry). European firms heavily rely on imports for these minerals, with a significant amount coming from China. This geospatial concentration of supply chains exposes Europe's climate and green industrial policies to significant geopolitical risks. This complex of issues prompted the European Commission to introduce the Critical Raw Material Act in March 2023. Albeit a valuable addition to Europe’s strategic autonomy agenda, the Act does not rise to the scale of the challenge. Internally, it aims to develop a European value chain for critical raw materials by streamlining permitting processes without committing any new funds. Externally, it reframes existing trade instruments and partnership initiatives without providing a step-by-step schedule for tapping into new sources of supply. If the EU is intent on reducing its vulnerabilities it must recognize that resilience comes with a price tag. It needs to marshal meaningful European funding and administrative support provisions, set realistic diversification requirements for European companies via regulation, and back its external trade and partnership strategies with convincing resources. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/eu-critical-raw-materials ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van den Brink, Martijn T1 - A typology of reverse discrimination in EU citizenship law JF - European Law Open N2 - In this Article, Martijn van den Brink sheds new light on one of the longest-running debates in the European Union (EU) citizenship literature: the concept of ‘reverse discrimination’ and the question of whether it is justified. Reverse discrimination has divided EU lawyers into roughly two distinct groups. One group believes that it constitutes an unjustified violation of the principle of equality; a second that it is inevitable in a Union governed by the constitutional principle of divided powers. This Article questions this by offering a typology of reverse discrimination. While most scholars assume that reverse discrimination is a singular phenomenon that demands a singular response, this Article shows that it is a variegated phenomenon that demands a variegated response. It distinguishes three types of reverse discrimination and explains that the proper response depends on the type we are considering. Type I is caused by the application of the principle of mutual recognition; Type II by an interaction between domestic federalism and internal discrimination; and Type III by the CJEU’s confusion over the aim of the right to free movement and residence. Through this typology, the Article shows that reverse discrimination is never a corollary of the principle of divided powers, nor is it always incompatible with the principle of equality. Finally, the Article shows that to the extent that reverse discrimination violates the principle of equality, the solution is not to equalise rights upwards but downwards to the lower (national or regional) level of government. This shows that the principle of equality and the principle of divided powers need not collide. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/elo.2022.54 VL - 2 IS - 1 SP - 57 EP - 78 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van den Brink, Martijn T1 - The Protected Grounds of Religion and Belief: Lessons for EU Non-Discrimination Law JF - German Law Journal N2 - The article draws lessons for EU non-discrimination law from the protected grounds of religion and belief through a discussion of the CJEU’s headscarf judgments. The article has two ambitions. First, the judgments are used to draw broader lessons for EU non-discrimination law, in relation to the distinction between and the justification of direct and indirect discrimination, as well as the purpose of protecting against (religious) discrimination. Second, these lessons are used to analyze the headscarf judgments and the criticism directed at them. While there is widespread agreement that the CJEU erred in these judgments, there is little agreement as to what mistakes were made. Through a discussion of these judgments, the article clarifies the difference between direct and indirect discrimination and the justification of both forms of discrimination. It is argued that the headscarf cases correctly distinguished between direct and indirect discrimination, and that the problem lies in the justificatory burden for indirect discriminatory measures, which was set too low by the CJEU. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/glj.2023.54 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library VL - 24 IS - 5 SP - 855 EP - 880 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van den Brink, Martijn ED - Szabó, Marcel ED - Gyeney, Laura ED - Láncos, Petra Lea T1 - Off Track, Again? EU Citizenship and the Right to Social Assistance JF - Hungarian Yearbook of International Law and European Law N2 - The right of EU citizens to equal treatment with nationals of the host Member State in respect of social assistance has been subject to significant changes on several occasions between the Treaty of Maastricht and now. The CJEU has struggled to establish consistent standards prescribing when economically inactive citizens can claim social protection, and in 2014 its tendency to construe this right broadly suddenly came to an end. It backtracked on one-and-a-half decades of case law by ruling that citizens could lay no claim to social assistance unless the respective conditions set out in secondary legislation were met. This article discusses the relevant law and its evolution over the past decades for a twofold aim. (i) First, to clarify in an accessible manner in what respects the law has changed from 1993 to the present. (ii) Second, to articulate a framework that allows us to evaluate the CJEU judgments rendered during this period. This framework departs from established ways of thinking about this evaluative question. Much of the EU citizenship literature evaluates the case law by the outcome it brings about. I will argue, instead, that this evaluation is a matter of comparative institutional choice. Such a comparative institutional assessment shows that disputes over the right of EU citizens to claim social assistance should be decided in line with what the EU legislature intended. It follows that the application of a principle of judicial deference to legislation in the second period of social assistance case law from 2014 onwards was justified. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.hungarianyearbook.com/volumes SN - 978-90-4730-177-6 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5553/HYIEL/266627012023011001003 SN - 2666-2701 VL - 11 SP - 18 EP - 36 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Lindner, Johannes A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - Germany Needs a Europe Pact N2 - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently presented a new “Germany-Pact” to advance the country, following media reporting that has portrayed Germany as the “sick man of Europe” due to its waning economy. However, as Johannes Lindner and Nils Redeker observe, Europe does not play a big role in this pact. In this op-ed, originally published in Handelsblatt, they explain why Germany should refocus on the EU single market and develop an overall strategy for modernising the country and Europe. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/germany-needs-a-europe-pact N1 - This policy position is also available in German: Lindner, J., & Redeker, N. (2023). Deutschland braucht einen Europapakt. https://www.delorscentre.eu/de/publikationen/detail/publication/germany-needs-a-europe-pact ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lindner, Johannes A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - Gastkommentar: Warum Deutschland jetzt einen Europa-Pakt braucht JF - Handelsblatt N2 - Deutschland schwächelt und sollte sich wieder stärker auf den EU-Binnenmarkt konzentrieren, meinen Johannes Lindner und Nils Redeker. Sie fordern eine Modernisierungsstrategie. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.handelsblatt.com/meinung/gastbeitraege/gastkommentar-warum-deutschland-jetzt-einen-europa-pakt-braucht/29394152.html ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bobzien, Licia T1 - Income Inequality and Political Trust: Do Fairness Perceptions Matter? JF - Social Indicators Research N2 - Political trust—in terms of trust in political institutions—is an important precondition for the functioning and stability of democracy. One widely studied determinant of political trust is income inequality. While the empirical finding that societies with lower levels of income inequality have higher levels of trust is well established, the exact ways in which income inequality affects political trust remain unclear. Past research has shown that individuals oftentimes have biased perceptions of inequality. Considering potentially biased inequality perceptions, Licia Bobzien argues that individuals compare their perceptions of inequality to their preference for inequality. If they identify a gap between what they perceive and what they prefer (= fairness gap), they consider their attitudes towards inequality unrepresented. This, in turn, reduces trust in political institutions. Using three waves of the ESS and the ISSP in a cross-country perspective, she finds that (1) perceiving a larger fairness gap is associated with lower levels of political trust; (2) the fairness gap mediates the link between actual inequality and political trust; and (3) disaggregating the fairness gap measure, political trust is more strongly linked to variation in inequality perceptions than to variation in inequality preferences. This indicates that inequality perceptions are an important factor shaping trust into political institutions. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03168-9 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Europe’s engine or wrench in the works? French-German cooperation on EU energy policy N2 - The “Franco-German Engine” currently stutters more than in the past, especially on energy topics. At times, this obstructs urgently needed policy making at the EU level. This policy brief attempts to illuminate the differences and commonalities between Germany and France on EU energy policy. First, it provides an overview of the German and French energy landscapes and their future objectives. Second, it describes the German and French positions on four controversial energy policy areas: nuclear energy, grid expansion, electricity market reform and guaranteeing low prices for energy-intensive industry. For each area, it identifies the key Franco-German pain-points and opportunities for the way forward. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/french-german-cooperation-on-eu-energy-policy ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Ostanina, Sascha T1 - Ukraine’s recovery: A huge challenge ahead N2 - Ukraine’s post-war recovery will require concerted, long-term EU commitment, leveraging substantial private investment, Sascha Ostanina argues in this policy position. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/ukraines-recovery-a-huge-challenge-ahead ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kalleitner, Fabian A1 - Bobzien, Licia T1 - Taxed fairly? How differences in perception shape attitudes towards progressive taxation JF - European Sociological Review N2 - Empirically, the poor are more likely to support increases in the level of tax progressivity than the rich. Such income-stratified tax preferences can result from differences in preferences of what should be taxed as argued by previous literature. However, it may also result from income-stratified perceptions of what is taxed. This paper argues that the rich perceive higher levels of tax progressivity than the poor and that tax perceptions affect individuals’ support for progressive taxation. Using data from an Austrian survey experiment, we test this argument in three steps: First, in line with past research, we show that individuals’ income positions are connected to individuals’ tax preferences as a self-interest rationale would predict. However, second, we show that this variation is mainly driven by income-stratified tax perceptions. Third, randomly informing a subset of the sample about actual tax rates, we find that changing tax perceptions causally affects support for redistributive taxation among those who initially overestimated the level of tax progressivity. Our results indicate that tax perceptions are relevant for forming tax preferences and suggest that individuals are more polarized in their perceptions of who pays how much taxes than in their support for who should pay how much tax. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcad060 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Lindner, Johannes A1 - Findeisen, Francesco A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Turning challenges to EU competitiveness into opportunities N2 - The EU struggles to remain internationally competitive, with pressures intensifying since the Russian war in Ukraine. Many factors, most of them long-standing, determine EU competitiveness, such as lack of skilled labour, digitalisation, or quality of infrastructure. A vast literature exists on how to address these issues. This paper takes a narrower approach by focusing on three more recent levers for the EU to ensure its future competitiveness: devising an EU industrial policy, adapting to the changing energy landscape, and positioning the EU in a geopolitically tense environment. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/turning-challenges-of-eu-competitiveness-into-opportunities ER - TY - RPRT A1 - van den Brink, Martijn T1 - Taking the Gamble? A Legal and Political Analysis of the Possible Suspension of the Hungarian Council Presidency N2 - Despite its increasingly autocratic style of governance, Hungary is set to take over the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the second half of 2024, Martijn van den Brink (Jacques Delors Centre, Hertie School of Governance) writes in his CEU DI Working Paper. Since doubts exist about the country’s capacity to exercise the responsibilities that come with this office, different proposals have been put forward to suspend a Hungarian Presidency. This paper offers a legal and political analysis of these proposals. First, the author argues that the proposals in their current form are inconsistent with the requirement in Article 16(9) TEU that the Presidency of the Council shall be held by the Member States on the basis of equal rotation. It is in line with this provision to delay a Hungarian Presidency for some time, but not to sanction the country for as long as it continues to violate the rule of law. Secondly, being mindful of these legal constraints, he questions whether delaying a Hungarian Presidency is a smart choice politically. The choice of delaying a Hungarian Council Presidency is something of a gamble. The analysis suggests it might be better to allow Hungary to chair the Council in the second half of 2024 rather than in several years. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://democracyinstitute.ceu.edu/articles/martijn-van-den-brink-taking-gamble-legal-and-political-analysis-possible-suspension PB - Central European University, Democracy Institute ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Nguyen, Thu T1 - Warum sich die Europäische Union erweitern und reformieren muss N2 - Die Europäische Union muss sich erweitern, möchte sie ihre unmittelbare Nachbarschaft stabilisieren und dem Einfluss Russlands in der Region vorbeugen. In dieser Policy Position argumentiert Thu Nguyen, dass jedoch sowohl künftige Mitgliedstaaten als auch die EU für die Erweiterung bereit sein müssen. Dazu braucht es Reformen, vor allem in drei Bereichen: Rechtsstaatlichkeit, Handlungsfähigkeit und EU-Haushalt. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/de/publikationen/detail/publication/warum-sich-die-europaeische-union-erweitern-und-reformieren-muss ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Show greenwashing the red card. How Europe can make sustainable finance work N2 - What Europe needs is not a regulatory pause, but better legislation. In record time, the EU has rolled out a comprehensive disclosure regime for sustainable finance. But the nascent regulatory framework is challenging to implement, remains vulnerable to abuse by those seeking to game the system and fails to provide meaningful guidance to investors. Despite detailed legislation, financial market participants differ significantly in their expectations of sustainable investment products and face the risk of greenwashing, where issuers - intentionally or unintentionally - make misleading sustainability claims. To enable private investment to finance Europe’s transition to net zero, this policy brief proposes short-term measures to combat greenwashing plus reforms that should be adopted once the next European Commission has assumed office. For the EU to uphold its status as a global benchmark for sustainable finance, lawmakers and regulators must urgently improve the rules in place and ensure that they are applied consistently across member states. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/make-sustainable-finance-work ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Findeisen, Francesco T1 - The Club Approach: Towards Successful EU Critical Raw Materials Diplomacy N2 - The EU's supply chains for critical raw materials are heavily concentrated in a handful of countries, notably China. This exposes the European Green Deal Agenda to the twists and turns of geopolitics and external shocks, while the net-zero transition will add to global resource requirements. To diversify the sources of its supplies, the EU intends establishing a Critical Raw Materials Club—a forum where resource-hungry and resource-rich countries collaborate in diversifying critical raw materials value chains. This policy brief outlines the challenges the EU faces in setting up such a Club and discusses options for designing an effective model. It concludes that a hybrid version, one that starts with voluntary commitments, minimal structure, and a limited number of members and becomes more ambitious over time, offers the most promising design solution. However, to succeed with this approach, the EU must make a credible upfront funding commitment at the launch of the Club and streamline its fragmented development finance model. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/critical-raw-materials-club ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Ostanina, Sascha T1 - The EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine - A peace actor who teaches to fight N2 - The EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM UA) is designed to support Ukraine’s army in its fight against Russia’s invasion. A two-year mission envisions training 40,000 Ukrainian soldiers on Western weapons systems and aims to maximise the utility of military assistance provided to Ukraine by its international partners. Can EUMAM UA provide Ukraine with a decisive advantage that wins the war? In this policy brief, Sascha Ostanina argues that EUMAM UA requires a longer mandate for Ukrainian troops to overcome real-life constraints. Consequently, the training mission’s cumulative impact can turn EUMAM UA into one of the key components of Ukraine’s battlefield successes. To increase its cumulative impact, the EU should also standardise the content of EUMAM UA courses and merge EUMAM UA with other EU military aid measures set up for Ukraine. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/the-eu-military-assistance-mission-for-ukraine ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bois, Julien A1 - Dawson, Mark T1 - Towards a legally plausible theory of judicialization in the European Union JF - Journal of European Integration N2 - This article examines the development of judicialization literature in the EU arguing that – in spite of the obvious advantages of interdisciplinary collaboration – scholarship on judicialization in law and political science is drafting apart in the 21st Century. While early political science research on the European Courts found theoretical inspiration in legal research, law and political science have increasingly diverging epistemological and methodological starting points. As the article argues, using prominent papers, this results in both disciplines producing partial accounts of judicial change with limited external validity. The article concludes by offering routes to improving the inter-disciplinary foundations of judicialization research. KW - Judicialization; interdisciplinarity; EU law; EU studies; law and politics Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2023.2190104 VL - 45 IS - 5 SP - 823 EP - 842 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Lindner, Johannes A1 - Nguyen, Thu A1 - Hansum, Romy T1 - What does it cost? Financial implications of the next enlargement N2 - Despite a broad consensus in the EU on the necessity of enlargement, it is far from a done deal. Especially the financial implications a Ukraine accession pose uncertainties. In our policy paper, Johannes Lindner, Thu Nguyen and Romy Hansum show that the next enlargement round would have less of an impact on the EU budget than is generally assumed. This is largely because the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) has inherent adaptation mechanisms to mitigate significant fluctuations. At the same time, we stress that is impossible to predict precisely what the EU’s MFF, under which accession will happen, will look like as the rules and allocations are subject to political negotiations. Lastly, enlargement is not the only issue adding pressure on the EU budget in a Union that faces huge challenges. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/financial-implications-of-the-next-enlargement ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Rustbelt relics or future keystone? EU policy for energy-intensive industries N2 - Energy-intensive industries in the EU are facing two main challenges: high energy prices and transitioning to decarbonised production. However, there is as yet no convincing EU-wide strategy for this sector‘s future. Given that the spectre of ‘deindustrialisation’ has triggered a readiness to act among the member states, there is a window of opportunity for designing such a strategy and putting it on the next Commission‘s agenda. This strategy must go beyond lowering energy prices, and factor in that cost pressures on industry to relocate will persist even in the long run, that the economic and resilience value of domestic production is lower than often portrayed, and that industrial decarbonisation is not just an EU but a global must. This policy brief delves into the economic, resilience and climate dimension of supporting energy-intensive industry, aiming to colour in contours of a potential strategy, and suggesting initial policy steps the EU should take. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/energy-intensive-industries ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Lindner, Johannes A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Europe must improve the quality of its regulation N2 - The EU is discussing better regulation. The issue is urgent. Nothing less than the competitiveness of European companies and the acceptance of the EU are at stake. But beware – neither symbolic politics nor broad deregulation will help. Instead: here are four concrete measures that could substantially improve the quality of EU regulation. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/quality-of-regulation ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Dawson, Mark ED - Dawson, Mark T1 - Introduction: The Accountability Impasse of the EU’s New Economic Governance T2 - Substantive Accountability in Europe's New Economic Governance N2 - This chapter serves as the general introduction to the volume. It discusses two major impasses plaguing EMU in the 2020s: the first, a clash between politicization of EMU decisions, on the one hand, and an institutional structure designed to reject political conflict, on the other; the second, a scholarly impasse between those analysing EMU accountability comparatively and those doing so through EMU specific standards. The chapter briefly introduces the core concepts used in the volume as a means of overcoming this impasse: the distinction between procedural and substantive accountability as well as the normative goods framework developed in Chapter 1. It finally provides an overview of the structure and content of the volume, concluding with a plea to focus scholarly attention on EMUs substantive accountability deficits. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009228800.001 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Akbik, Adina A1 - Dawson, Mark ED - Dawson, Mark T1 - From Procedural to Substantive Accountability in EMU Governance T2 - Substantive Accountability in Europe’s New Economic Governance N2 - This chapter provides the volumes general conceptual framework. It begins by addressing why new approaches to accountability are needed, arguing that accountability literature has reached a stalemate as a result of an impasse between deductive and inductive approaches to accountability in the EU. It then argues that overcoming the stalemate requires developing a generalised framework of what accountability is for, deriving four accountability goods to be used in subsequent chapters. The chapter argues that each of the goods can be delivered in procedural or substantive ways, focusing either on the process by which decisions are made or the substantive worth of decisions themselves. The chapter concludes by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of both varieties of accountability before mapping out how the concepts will be applied across policy fields and institutions in subsequent chapters. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009228800.003 SP - 19 EP - 44 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Kohlenberger, Judith T1 - Opening up “Fortress Europe” to Global Talents: EU Labour Migration Options N2 - This policy brief delves into the potential of regular migration across diverse skill levels to alleviate labour shortages in the EU. It contends that the EU faces a policy dilemma by attempting to curtail certain migration forms, as seen in the recent Common European Asylum System (CEAS) reform, while concurrently encouraging others through initiatives like the EU Talent Pool. The inconsistent approach to third-country migration poses significant trade-offs, necessitating a comprehensive resolution. The brief advocates for a multi-faceted strategy encompassing (a) diversification, (b) integration, and (c) de-bureaucratization at both EU and member state levels. Addressing potential pitfalls such as brain drains and heightened competition among member states, the brief concludes by highlighting three essential criteria for enhancing talent attraction and mitigating EU labour shortages through both high- and low-skilled migration. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/opening-up-fortress-europe-to-global-talents-eu-labour-migration-options ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van den Brink, Martijn A1 - Dawson, Mark A1 - Zglinski, Jan T1 - Revisiting the asymmetry thesis: negative and positive integration in the EU JF - Journal of European Public Policy N2 - The ‘asymmetry thesis’, articulated by Fritz Scharpf, holds that EU governance is characterised by an asymmetry between positive and negative integration. The EU has well-developed capacities for negative integration but only limited capacities for positive integration. The present paper challenges the orthodoxy that this thesis has become in EU law and political science scholarship. It argues that the asymmetry thesis no longer accurately depicts European integration, revisiting its key legal and institutional assumptions. Taking the internal market as the most likely case to test the thesis, we show that negative integration has become weaker, positive integration has gained in strength, and both developments have had an impact on the substance of EU law and policymaking, which is promoting non-economic concerns and market-correcting policies to a greater extent than it used to. These shifts, so we contend, could be even more pronounced in other areas of European integration. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2023.2296940 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Flonk, Daniëlle A1 - Jachtenfuchs, Markus A1 - Obendiek, Anke T1 - Controlling internet content in the EU: towards digital sovereignty JF - Journal of European Public Policy N2 - We analyse the rhetoric and reality of EU digital sovereignty by looking at content control. The control of online content is central to sovereignty because it relates to fundamental freedoms and democratic competition. Our main data source is the unique International Organizations in Global Internet Governance (IO-GIG) dataset which contains internet policy output documents across international institutions and issue areas between 1995 and 2021. By assessing policy output, we show structural trends in content control output in volume, bindingness, and orientation. By analysing policy discourse, we show the evolution of frames on content control over time. We find evidence for a comprehensive but still ongoing trend towards digital sovereignty in policy output and a shift from prioritising free access to the public order in discourse. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2024.2309179 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library VL - 31 IS - 8 SP - 2316 EP - 2342 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Ostanina, Sascha T1 - To guarantee its security, the EU should arm Ukraine through a self-defence agreement N2 - Current security guarantees for Ukraine range from unavailable to ineffective, writes Sascha Ostanina. She proposes a middle-ground solution to provide collective security for Ukraine through a binding self-defence agreement between the EU and Ukraine. Such an agreement would provide Ukraine with access to weapons and ammunition in the event of Russian aggression. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/to-guarantee-its-security-the-eu-should-arm-ukraine-through-a-self-defence-agreement ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Findeisen, Francesco T1 - Conditional support: How the EU can solve the geo-economics dilemma of the Green Deal N2 - A European Green Deal that can withstand external shocks and navigate the twists and turns of geo-politics rests on diversified sources of critical imports. However, diversification is a matter for corporate decisions on where to find supplies and place investment and European firms, grappling with cost-push inflation, are reluctant to bear the costs these entail. In this policy position, Francesco Findeisen makes three suggestions about how the EU can help its firms achieve economic resilience through conditional industrial policy support and public procurement. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/conditional-support-how-the-eu-can-solve-the-geo-economics-dilemma-of-the-green-deal ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jansen, Jannik T1 - When Europe talks climate, it needs to think jobs N2 - Europe’s climate and green industrial policies have faced criticism over lack of funding and coordination, but a shortage of skilled workers could be the key stumbling block for meeting the EU’s green ambitions. This policy brief shines a light on the challenges posed by this shortage. First, it provides an overview of the EU’s aspirational clean tech objectives. Second, it seeks to present a more nuanced perspective on the specific skill and labor requirements for producing and deploying key clean technologies, by providing an initial estimate for the workforce needed to meet the Union’s climate and industrial targets by 2030. Finally, it delves into the factors contributing to potential labor market bottlenecks and underscores the urgent need for targeted and coordinated policy actions. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/skilled-workers-in-the-green-transition ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Akbik, Adina ED - Dawson, Mark T1 - The Economic Dialogues with the Eurogroup: Substantive Accountability Claimed, but Unmet T2 - Substantive Accountability in Europe’s New Economic Governance N2 - As the most powerful executive actor in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), the Eurogroup has faced continuous demands to improve its accountability record since the euro crisis. One reform introduced to meet these demands were the Economic Dialogue – a regular exchange of views between the European Parliament and the President of the Eurogroup designed to ‘ensure greater transparency and accountability’ in the EMU. This chapter investigates the practical functioning of the Economic Dialogues with the Eurogroup between 2013 and the 2019 European Parliament elections. Applying the theoretical framework of the introduction, the purpose is to examine the extent to which the Parliament focuses on procedural or substantive accountability when questioning the Eurogroup President. Moreover, the chapter investigates the reasoning of parliamentary questions in line with the four accountability goods identified at the outset (openness, non-arbitrariness, effectiveness, and publicness). The findings show that Members of the European Parliament are eager to question the extent to which Eurogroup decisions are substantively open and effective, and to a lesser extent whether they are arbitrary or protect EU interests more generally. The analysis is based on fourteen transcripts of Economic Dialogues with the Eurogroup President, which took place between 2013 and 2019. KW - Accountability; Eurogroup; European Parliament; Council of the EU; Economic Dialogue; European Semester; ESM Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009228800.010 SP - 154 EP - 176 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bobić, Ana ED - Dawson, Mark T1 - Constructive Constitutional Conflict as an Accountability Device in Monetary Policy T2 - Substantive Accountability in Europe’s New Economic Governance Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009228800.012 SP - 197 EP - 316 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Genschel, Philipp A1 - Jachtenfuchs, Markus A1 - Migliorati, Marta T1 - Nur Symbolpolitik? Differenzierung und Reintegration staatlicher Kerngewalten JF - integration N2 - Constitutional differentiation is often assumed to match perfectly with reality. We argue, however, that this is often not the case in core state powers. Constitutional differentiation often does not lead to the exclusion of the non-integrated member states (“outs”) from the policies of the integrated member states (“ins”) but to their reintegration by different means. We present a cost-benefit-model which argues that both “outs” and “ins” often have strong functional and political incentives to seek reintegration after an earlier decision for differentiation because the costs of exclusion are too high. We use a novel dataset of reintegration opportunities to map trends and patterns of reintegration across policy fields, reintegration instruments and member states in core state powers. We conclude by arguing that reintegration is a frequent but fragile phenomenon through which “ins” and “outs” cope with the costs of exclusion. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5771/0720-5120-2023-2-146 VL - 46 IS - 2 SP - 146 EP - 161 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Patrin, Maria T1 - Democratic standards in external differentiation: the area of freedom, security and justice JF - West European Politics N2 - The article investigates standards of democracy and accountability in external differentiated integration. It focuses on the area of freedom security and justice as a highly differentiated EU policy domain that combines patterns of internal and external differentiation. Two case studies in the field of Schengen and police cooperation illustrate how differentiated policies can affect participating third countries in democratic terms. The analysis shows that although countries associated to EU policies maintain their full sovereignty and jurisdiction, the pressure to comply is high and the threat of exclusion can lead to incongruence in both participation in decision making and accountability. Furthermore, the overlap between internal and external differentiation results in a frayed participation landscape that obfuscates accountability processes and can create legal uncertainty. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2025.2477398 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library. VL - 48 IS - 5 SP - 1002 EP - 1028 PB - Informa UK Limited ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Lost in Implementation? The Clean Industrial Deal demands urgent and bold delivery N2 - The EU’s Clean Industrial Deal (CID) finally offers a coherent strategy to make clean-tech manufacturing and energy-intensive industries competitive while cutting emissions. But being a high-level document, the CID’s success hinges on the still-missing implementation details. The first action plans, for cars and metals, are not encouraging indicators, revealing that measures run the risk of having limited heft, speed and scope. To avoid the CID becoming an empty promise, Brussels must wield its policy tools more forcefully, accelerate key legislation, broaden support to other priority sectors, and provide more clarity on the limits of EU-level policies. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/lost-in-implementation-the-clean-industrial-deal ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Better green than sorry – Why the prudential framework for insurers should integrate systemic climate risks N2 - Climate change poses systemic risks to insurers and the broader financial system, yet the EU’s prudential framework for insurers remains ill-equipped to deal with these. While recent regulatory revisions have introduced some climate-related requirements, these fall short of a systemic approach. This policy brief calls for integrating systemic climate risks across the full range of insurers’ underwriting and investment activities and puts forward concrete actions to that end. The upcoming review of the EU’s macro-prudential framework for non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI) opens an unmissable window of opportunity to align insurers’ prudential policy with climate objectives and safeguard financial stability in an era of escalating climate risk. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/better-green-than-sorry ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Kohlenberger, Judith A1 - Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik, Paula A1 - Laube, Lena A1 - Parusel, Bernd A1 - Saracino, Daniele T1 - Instrumentalisation of migration: Europe needs a strong and lawful response N2 - In view of a relatively low number of asylum seekers at the EU’s eastern external borders, several EU member states are undermining refugee protection in Europe, citing attempts by Russia and Belarus to “instrumentalise” migration. This policy brief examines the narrative of the “instrumentalisation” of migration and its implications for asylum policy in the EU. In addition to national efforts , stricter measures and exemptions (or derogations) have also been incorporated into the 2024 reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). This rhetorically and politically questionable escalation of the instrumentalisation narrative, which is increasingly reflected in law, erodes European norms and values internally. Externally, it signals success for those who engage in instrumentalisation. Through panic-driven reactions, the EU demonstrates that irregular migration is its weak point – one that can be exploited by third countries. A more fruitful response would be to draw on the strengths of the common European project: a human rights-based approach that relies on the rule of law and seeks to build capacities for intra-European responsibility-sharing. Such a counter-narrative, which absorbs the logic of instrumentalisation and creates desirable effects such as the stabilisation of norms, values and European labour markets, could achieve more positive foreign and security policy outcomes and serve as an impetus for a more evidence-based European asylum and refugee policy. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/instrumentalisation-of-migration N1 - This policy brief is also published in German: https://www.delorscentre.eu/de/publikationen/detail/publication/instrumentalisierung-von-migration ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reh, Christine A1 - Bressanelli, Edoardo A1 - Koop, Christel T1 - Responsive withdrawal? The politics of EU agenda-setting JF - Journal of European Public Policy N2 - This contribution asks whether and why the newly political environment of EU law-making impacts on the European Commission's choice (not) to announce the withdrawal of legislative proposals. We argue that the Commission uses ‘responsive withdrawal’ in response to bottom-up pressure, so as to signal self-restraint or policy-determination to different audiences. Bottom-up pressures are driven by (1) the national contestation of ‘Europe’; (2) visible controversy about optimal (crisis) governance; and (3) the domestic salience of EU legislation. Our hypotheses are tested on a new dataset of all codecision files concluded, withdrawn, rejected or ongoing between 2006 and 2018. We show that the Commission reacts to bottom-up pressure by either politicising or depoliticising the EU's legislative agenda: ‘withdrawal announcements’ are more likely when Euroscepticism is high and when legislation touches core state powers, but less likely when legislation is domestically salient. We also demonstrate the continued importance of cyclical and technical reasons. Our analysis complements extant explanations of withdrawal as the upshot of functional factors or of uncertainty, and contributes to the nascent debate about whether, why and how supranational actors respond when the systems in which they operate – and the policies they produce – come under attack. KW - Agenda-setting, European Commission, legislation, politicisation, depoliticisation, withdrawals Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2020.1712453 VL - 27 IS - 3 SP - 419 EP - 438 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Kohlenberger, Judith A1 - Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik, Paula A1 - Laube, Lena A1 - Parusel, Bernd A1 - Saracino, Daniele T1 - Instrumentalisierung von Migration: Europa braucht eine starke und rechtskonforme Antwort N2 - Mehrere EU-Mitgliedstaaten berufen sich auf mutmaßliche Instrumentalisierungsversuche durch Russland und Belarus, um den Flüchtlingsschutz an den östlichen Außengrenzen auszuhöhlen – obwohl die Zahl der Asylsuchenden dort relativ gering ist. Dieser Policy Brief analysiert das Narrativ der „Instrumentalisierung“ und seine wachsende Verankerung in Politik und Recht, unter anderem im Rahmen der 2024 beschlossenen Reform des Gemeinsamen Europäischen Asylsystems (GEAS). Die Rhetorik der Bedrohung erodiert nach innen europäische Werte und signalisiert nach außen Verwundbarkeit. Panikartige Reaktionen der EU machen deutlich, wie angreifbar und uneinheitlich ihr Umgang mit irregulärer Migration ist. Stattdessen wäre ein menschenrechtlich geleiteter, rechtsstaatlicher Ansatz nötig, der die innereuropäische Verantwortungsteilung stärkt. Ein solches Gegennarrativ könnte nicht nur Stabilität nach innen schaffen, sondern auch positive Impulse für eine realitätsnahe und krisenresiliente europäische Asylpolitik sowie außen- und sicherheitspolitische Effekte entfalten. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/de/publikationen/detail/publication/instrumentalisierung-von-migration N1 - This policy brief is also published in English: https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/instrumentalisation-of-migration ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Breaugh, Jessica A1 - Hammerschmid, Gerhard A1 - Stockreiter, Simona T1 - The prevalence of public values in public private partnerships for government digitalisation: A systematic review of the literature JF - Government Information Quarterly N2 - This study presents a systematic literature review of 74 articles examining public-private partnerships (PPPs) in digitalisation projects, analysing how public values are represented in this literature. It contributes to the literature by systematically mapping how public values are discussed in PPP-driven digitalisation, distinguishing between their role as internal governance mechanisms (internal public value enablers) and their broader societal effects (external public value outcomes). It also identifies gaps in empirical research, particularly in understanding public value conflicts and trade-offs in PPPs. While public values such as efficiency, participation, and accountability are the most frequently cited in the literature, other values such as accessibility, trust and proportionality also emerged. Despite the collaborative nature of PPPs, our review uncovers conflicts between public and private sector motives, emphasizing the need for public sector actors to actively safeguard public values. The study thus contributes to a broader understanding of public values representation in the context of digitalisation projects. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2025.102048 VL - 42 IS - 3 PB - Elsevier BV ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Quaritsch, Luise T1 - The EU's Defence of Democracy Dilemma: The example of third country lobbying N2 - The European Commission has made defending EU democracies from foreign interference a priority. A key legislative element in its democracy agenda is the ‘Directive on Transparency of Interest Representation on behalf of Third Countries’. The proposed directive would establish transparency registers in each member states for entities lobbying on behalf of third country governments. The initiative, however, is unlikely to substantially address the issue of foreign meddling. This brief argues that the directive as its stands is emblematic of the Commission’s structural limitations when it comes to an effective defence of European democracy. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/the-eus-defence-of-democracy-dilemma ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jansen, Jannik T1 - Europe’s Car Industry in Transition: Stuck in Neutral or Shifting into Gear? N2 - Europe’s automotive industry is entering a decisive decade but lacks a clear map for navigating it. While global competitors accelerate their shift toward electric vehicles, Europe’s strategic focus remains clouded by fragmented interests, path dependencies, and short-term pressures. This policy brief aims to sharpen the debate by highlighting three core insights. First, hitting the breaks on electrification is not a viable strategy - it will deepen, not avoid, disruption. Second, there is no deep-seated demand deficit for electric vehicles, the real bottlenecks are persistent price premiums and inconsistent policy signals. Third, Europe’s car industry is not destined to decline. National industrial policies show early success, but without EU-level coordination, significant risks remain. What is needed now is a shared strategy to keep Europe in the race. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/europes-car-industry-in-transition ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hansum, Romy T1 - Continuity amid change: Explaining budgetary choices in the national implementation of EU cohesion policy funds JF - European Union Politics N2 - At first glance, the implementation of EU funds should be fluctuating with economic or political demands. However, this quantitative analysis shows that the national implementation is instead characterised by policy continuity. National governments largely adhere to the same budgetary choices as in previous periods when implementing cohesion policy funds, independent of changing political and economic circumstances at the national level. Additionally, countries with a longer implementation experience show more policy continuity. These findings suggest that self-reinforcing dynamics develop not only for domestic funds but also in the EU multi-level governance context. In addition to policy continuity, EU-wide trends were found to matter in the broad national programmatic orientation. When policy continuity prevails, the resulting rigidity can threaten the effectiveness and responsiveness of EU funds. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/14651165251365553 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library. ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Leichthammer, Arthur A1 - Quaritsch, Luise T1 - Why the DSA is not up for negotiation N2 - Just days after unveiling details of the transatlantic trade arrangement, Donald Trump threatened retaliatory tariffs over the EU’s digital laws. Brussels must now draw a line: its rulebook is not up for negotiation. Regulating the online sphere is a matter of democratic self-determination and if Trump punishes the EU, Europe must be ready to retaliate. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/why-the-dsa-is-not-up-for-negotiation ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Shahini, Besa T1 - Towards Enlargement - How to Rebuild Trust in the EU Accession Process N2 - EU enlargement has historically fostered economic growth and political stability. In the Western Balkans, however, the process has stalled for many years due to the myriad crises afflicting the EU and failure to deliver reforms in the Western Balkans. This policy brief examines the evolution of the EU accession process, the challenges faced by candidate countries, and the need for a revitalized approach that builds reforms into the accession process rather than keep them a precondition for kickstarting it. It calls for the EU to remove bilateral disputes from the process and open accession talks with all candidate countries in all areas covered by the acquis, ensuring that all candidate countries have a fair chance based on their merits. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/towards-enlargement-how-to-rebuild-trust-in-the-eu-accession-process ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jansen, Jannik A1 - Nguyen, Thu T1 - Between Continuity and a Perforated 'Cordon Sanitaire' - On the 2024 European Elections N2 - Between 6-9 July 2024, the 720 members of the European Parliament were elected across 27 Member States. While the elections have not led to a landslide shift to the right, there is a notable consolidation of far-right parties at the European level. Still, the pro-European centre is holding firm and maintains a majority. In this Policy Brief, Jannik Jansen and Thu Nguyen argue that the results likely indicate by-and-large continuity in the European Parliament, including an ongoing shift to the right on contested issues due to a perforated ‘cordon sanitaire’. But the election results had heavily disruptive consequences on the national level, which in France has triggered snap parliamentary elections. This will have pronounced impact on the balance of power in the (European) Council and on the EU as a whole. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/between-continuity-and-a-perforated-cordon-sanitaire ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Quaritsch, Luise T1 - Political Advertising in the 2024 European elections - Between Europeanisation and the protection of electoral integrity online N2 - Election campaigns are increasingly conducted online. Social media platforms in particular shape political discourse and facilitate new ways of delivering political messages. This was initially considered a boon for democracy, but opaque manipulation tactics quickly turned it into a threat to fair and transparent elections. National regulatory frameworks have often proved to be inadequate for online campaigns and the transnational nature of European elections. The EU has reacted to this with a regulation on political advertising. The initiative facilitates transnational campaigning online and aims to protect the integrity of European elections. The 2024 European elections will be the first time EU rules operate in this area, putting these to the test. This election cycle will indicate whether political actors are striking out for more cross-border campaigns and whether they suffice to protect European elections. Critical here is how online platforms implement the new rules and how transparent they are about campaign-related posts on their sites. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/political-advertising-in-the-2024-european-elections ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Leichthammer, Arthur T1 - Mining for Tomorrow: The strategic importance of critical raw materials for Europe’s industry N2 - Arthur Leichthammer, Geoeconomics Policy Fellow at the Jacques Delors Centre, argues that the EU needs a strategic rethink to safeguard its critical raw materials supplies as global competition intensifies. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/mining-for-tomorrow ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Almost a free lunch: Boosting investment predictability for the Green Deal N2 - Implementing the EU Green Deal requires annual investments of about €620 billion, most of which will have to be shouldered by the private sector. However, businesses and households are not investing enough as of now. An important lever for greater green investment is reducing uncertainty around such investment. At the start of the next institutional cycle, the EU should hence improve regulatory certainty for green investments, which should be palatable to most parties likely to form a majority in the Parliament. In addition, the EU should adopt concrete tools that reduce cost uncertainty for companies and households in a pragmatic manner. To this end, this policy position recommends using green lead markets and proposes moves to explore two novel mechanisms that cost taxpayers little to nothing but should boost green investments. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/boosting-investment-predictability-for-the-green-deal ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Knudsen, Edward L. T1 - A falling star? Origins of declining state capacity and democratic accountability in the United States JF - Global Policy N2 - AbstractThe United States—often hailed as the ‘oldest democracy in the world’ and the ‘leader of the free world’—has fallen on hard times. In addition to recent headline‐grabbing political events that have highlighted its political dysfunction, data from the 2022 Berggruen Governance Index (BGI) reveal that overall state capacity and democratic accountability have been declining for years. Although public goods provision has remained on a steady course, the US still trails much of the developed world. We find this struggling performance is largely the result of neglecting three types of infrastructure: civic, physical and social. Specifically, we argue that the crisis became particularly pronounced due to an insufficient response to the 2008 global financial crisis. Although some recent political achievements could slow the decline, more drastic action will be required to reverse these troubling trends. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13282 SN - 1758-5880 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library VL - 14 IS - S4 SP - 47 EP - 57 PB - Wiley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Knudsen, Edward L. T1 - Escape from the ‘lost decades?’ Governance challenges in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela JF - Global Policy N2 - Much of Latin America has experienced a renewed ‘lost decade’, failing to substantially expand quality of life since the late 2000s. While the outcomes of governance performance across the largest countries – including Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina – have discrete causes, common themes like internal conflict, corruption, and overreliance on natural resources plague the entire region. Put more generally, the inability to turn democratic accountability into a state mechanism able to deliver economic growth and public goods in a sustainable manner is a liability affecting all five countries. To explore the difficulties that the large Latin American countries have faced in the twenty‐first century, this article examines results from the 2022 Berggruen Governance Index, and then presents three key issues facing the region: insufficient state capacity, flirtations with authoritarianism, and economic inequality and inflation. While the challenges remain substantial, increased regional integration may offer one way out of the predicament. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13279 SN - 1758-5880 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library VL - 14 IS - S4 SP - 113 EP - 123 PB - Wiley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Knudsen, Edward L. T1 - Stable or stagnant? Political economy and governance in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany since 2000 JF - Global Policy N2 - At the beginning of the twenty‐first century, the large democracies of Western Europe experienced some of the most prosperous and peaceful decades in human history. Specifically, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany experienced high and stable quality of life, democratic accountability and state capacity between 2000 and 2019, according to the 2022 Berggruen Governance Index. While all four of these countries are among the top performers in the Index, substantial problems lurk beneath the surface. Notably, each failed to capitalise on the low interest rate environment in the decade following the global financial crisis of 2007–2009—albeit in different ways and for different reasons in each country. In particular, low investment in infrastructure and key technologies, the persistence of stubborn regional inequalities, and resulting sluggish GDP growth have prevented the ‘Big Four’ in Western Europe from improving further and future‐proofing their existing gains. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13271 SN - 1758-5880 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library VL - 14 IS - S4 SP - 90 EP - 103 PB - Wiley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koranyi, Kinga T1 - Power of the weak? Framing strategies in fiscal redistribution negotiations JF - Regional & Federal Studies N2 - In fiscal redistribution negotiations, fiscally weaker sub-units aim to secure more funding but are disempowered by their dependency and lack of bargaining chips. What kind of negotiation strategies do fiscally weak actors rely on to maximize their bargaining positions in redistributive negotiations? The article puts forward a novel strategy of discursive framing whereby relatively powerless actors can reach successful agreements. Two strategies of framing, communitarian and coercive, are observed inductively through a comparative case study analysis of two instances of sub-federal redistribution negotiations in Canada. The findings reveal that ‘more is not always better’: more publicity and aggression can backfire, while communitarian strategies grounded in normative argumentation can prove effective despite their non-confrontational nature. Even a mixed communitarian-coercive strategy can prove effective given that sub-units remain consistent with their initial objectives and apply pressure incrementally. The lessons learned from these Canadian cases have broader implications for studying the dynamics of redistributive negotiations globally. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13597566.2023.2295407 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Flying blind? Why EU administrations need better data and analytical capacities N2 - To achieve some recent EU priorities, such as boosting clean tech manufacturing, reducing energy prices, or strengthening economic resilience, policy makers are intervening more actively in the economy. Getting these types of policies right requires a thorough understanding of the respective business environment, technologies, and market developments. This policy brief argues that the EU level lacks the data and the analytic capacities that are needed to achieve this understanding. The next EU Commission should address these shortcomings by collecting more data in the narrow areas subject to vertical government intervention, by improving how data gets collected, and by dedicating more staff to data-driven analyses. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/flying-blind-why-eu-administrations-need-better-data-and-analytical-capacities ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - Chasing Shadows: What the Net Zero Industry Act Teaches Us About EU Industrial Policy N2 - The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) was touted as the EU‘s big response to the US Inflation Reduction Act. After a year of negotiations, it will finally hit the legislative books. In his policy position, Nils Redeker analyses what has become of the EU‘s green industrial policy ambitions, what the NZIA teaches us about Europe‘s role in the clean tech race, and what the next Commission needs to do to formulate a constructive answer to the global return of industrial policy. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/chasing-shadows-what-the-net-zero-industry-act-teaches-us-about-eu-industrial-policy ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Abou-Chadi, Tarik A1 - Jansen, Jannik A1 - Kollberg, Markus A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - Debunking the Backlash - Uncovering European Voters' Climate Preferences N2 - The notion of a broad green backlash is set to dominate this year's European election campaign. Based on new survey data from more than 15.000 respondents in Germany, France and Poland, we show that it is largely overblown. A majority of voters still wish for a more ambitious climate policy and would support a raft of concrete measures to bring down emissions. However, supporting pivotal voters in the middle will require a stronger focus on green investment and industrial policy and offsetting measures for effective but unpopular policies like carbon pricing. Parties should not waste the coming months outbidding each other over how to cater to imagined climate fatigue but compete over concrete recipes to green the economy. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/debunking-the-backlash-uncovering-european-voters-climate-preferences ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Handle with care – How Europe can reap the benefits of securitisation N2 - Provided it is sufficiently regulated, securitisation can help to fund the economy and share risks within the monetary union. Securitisation combines the advantages of banks in lending and of financial markets in financing. However, a lack of standardisation and legal harmonisation currently prevents the EU from reaping the benefits of this instrument. Weakening the prudential framework will not create a truly European market but may pose new risks to financial stability. Instead, this Policy Brief argues that to scale up securitisation, overcoming the fragmentation in national contract and insolvency laws in the longer term will be key. In the meantime, the European Commission should cut unnecessary red tape and establish an EU-wide standardised securitisation product tailored to an asset class that shows sustainable growth potential. Renovation loans are a promising option. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/handle-with-care-securitisation ER - TY - EDBOOK ED - Dawson, Mark ED - de Witte, Bruno ED - Muir, Elise T1 - Revisiting Judicial Politics in the European Union N2 - Addressing the tensions between the political and the legal dimension of European integration as well as intra-institutional dynamics, this insightful book navigates the complex topic of judicial politics. Providing an overview of key topics in the current debate and including an introductory chapter on different conceptions of judicial politics, experts in law and politics interrogate the broader political role of the European Court of Justice. Y1 - 2024 SN - 9781035313501 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035313518 PB - Edward Elgar Publishing Limited ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Dawson, Mark A1 - de Witte, Bruno A1 - Muir, Elise ED - Dawson, Mark ED - de Witte, Bruno ED - Muir, Elise T1 - Introduction: locating judicial politics T2 - Revisiting Judicial Politics in the European Union N2 - The Court inhabits a ‘political space’ to which it is called upon to respond. This points to its need to develop cooperative relationships not only with courts but also with political actors (such as national governments and the EU legislature) and even to directly address and explain decisions to EU citizens themselves. This book is aimed at answering the question of ‘How does the CJEU position itself as a political as well as a legal actor?’ with a view to better understanding the work of the Court and addressing its contestation. For that purpose, we explore in this introductory chapter what is meant by judicial ‘activism’ and judicial ‘politics’, before examining the different varieties of judicial politics our authors have shown an interest in. This will pave the way to drawing some lessons on the factors to take into account when seeking to address and respond to contestation of the work of the Court. Y1 - 2024 SN - 9781035313501 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035313518.00006 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Edward Elgar Publishing ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Quaritsch, Luise T1 - On the road to the 2024 European elections: Institutional timeline and missed opportunities N2 - The 2024 European elections could mark a turning point in EU politics: The European Parliament has traditionally been a progressive force in EU policymaking, often pushing for more far-reaching, European solutions than the Council. This dynamic could fundamentally change after the 2024 elections, with the current power balance expected to shift in favour of more right-wing forces. But even without a turn towards a Eurosceptic majority, the outcome will determine the direction of policies decided by the Parliament and shape EU politics over the next five years. This policy brief offers an overview of the need-to-know for this election year. First, it details the institutional timeline until the end of the current legislative cycle. Second, it provides an overview of how European political parties are approaching the election campaign. Third, it discusses election day, possible new majorities in Parliament and inevitable institutional haggling over key positions. Finally, it describes the missed reform opportunities since the 2019 elections and how this may undermine the integrity of the June poll. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/on-the-road-to-the-2024-european-elections-institutional-timeline-and-missed-opportunities ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hansum, Romy T1 - The Role of Electoral Interests in the National Distribution of EU Covid‐19 Funds JF - JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies N2 - Expectations are high regarding the impact of the extensive Covid‐19 crisis support ‘Next Generation EU’. Mixed experiences from established EU distributive policies indicate, though, that ultimate policy outcomes largely depend on national implementation decisions. This article scrutinises vote‐buying strategies according to which domestic governments exploit the largely autonomous national distribution of EU funds to target certain constituencies. To study national strategies, the analysis takes advantage of the extraordinary leeway given to domestic governments in distributing REACT‐EU funds, part of Next Generation EU. The encompassing quantitative analysis covers a large sample of member states and committed funds. The regression results provide no support that national governments distribute REACT‐EU funds to politically opportune regions. In a departure from most previous analyses focusing on specific member states, these findings suggest that vote buying is not the dominant strategy in the national implementation of all EU funds. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13711 SN - 0021-9886 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library PB - Wiley ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Ostanina, Sascha T1 - Don’t put the cart before the horse: The need for a strategic vision for EU security spending N2 - On February 3, European Council President Antonio Costa will host the EU’s national leaders, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to discuss European defence and its financing. While there exists a shared understanding of the need for increased defence funding in Europe, the EU and its member states struggle to determine which defence needs to ‘Europeanise’. This policy paper argues that the exact amount of allocated funds is of secondary importance. The EU must first articulate a comprehensive security strategy to answer the most fundamental question: whom does the EU aim to defend itself against? KW - Defence spending Y1 - 2025 UR - delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/the-need-for-a-strategic-vision-for-eu-security-spending ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - Delivering on Draghi – How to finally get real about the EU’s clean industrial strategy N2 - With the Clean Industrial Deal (CID), the European Commission has pledged to finally get real about a common clean industrial policy. This would be a first. Previous attempts resulted in an industrial policy in name only. In practice, they suffered from a lack of sectoral focus, poor coordination across policy fields, and insufficient financial backing. New data from 280,000 state aid awards shows that of the €353 billion granted on the supply side since 2019, only 12% targeted sectors the EU identified as strategically important. To move beyond half-measures, the CID should now act fast and pragmatically on three fronts: First, it should clearly define what specific sectors to support and why. Second, rather than waiting for new coordination frameworks, it should deploy existing EU tools—such as trade policy, procurement rules, and regulation—to develop sector-specific strategies. And third, as our new data indicates that fragmentation risks in clean industries remain limited, it should make full use of state aid instruments to direct national subsidies toward priority industries. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/delivering-on-draghi ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Guttenberg, Lucas A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - How to defend Europe without risking another euro crisis N2 - Europe intends to rapidly and strongly increase its defense spending. It should do so without risking Europe’s fiscal sustainability and financial stability at a time of great danger. We argue that the Commission’s current plan to use the flexibility built in the EU’s fiscal rules will not achieve this: On the one hand, this will not lead to the long-term certainty over available resources for defense spending that is now needed. On the other hand, relying on the flexibility and in particular the use of the national escape clause would likely amount to an unplugging of the rules that could stoke strong market reactions. Therefore, the best way to create the necessary fiscal space is a targeted and temporary exemption of defense spending from the fiscal rules. We outline how this could be done through a change of the legal texts. Finally, we explain how common borrowing could complement a rule change if member states agree to pool decision-making powers in defense policy matters. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/how-to-defend-europe-without-risking-another-euro-crisis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Akbik, Adina A1 - Migliorati, Marta T1 - Understanding oversight through parliamentary questions: The European Parliament in the Economic and Monetary Union JF - European Union Politics N2 - Although parliamentary questions are an essential tool of legislative oversight, there is limited research on their variation in holding governments accountable. In this article, we analyse a new dataset of 1393 oral questions posed by Members of the European Parliament during the 8th parliamentary term. After distinguishing between questions asking for information, justification, or rectification of conduct, we explain their variation in connection to the formal oversight relationship between parliaments and scrutinised actors, and to the type of policy activity carried out by the latter. We find that Members of the European Parliament are more likely to address rectification questions and less likely to ask information questions the fewer legal controls they have. Moreover, information questions are more likely to occur in the oversight of policy formulation, while justification questions are prevalent in the oversight of policy execution. The findings flag the importance of structural factors in the practice of legislative oversight. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/14651165241268274 SN - 1465-1165 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library VL - 25 IS - 4 SP - 675 EP - 697 PB - SAGE Publications ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Out of the shadow: A macro-prudential framework for NBFI in the EU N2 - Whereas market financing is becoming increasingly important, structural vulnerabilities in the shadow banking sector remain unaddressed. To ensure that capital markets are a source of economic prosperity rather than financial instability, the European Commission in its new term should strengthen the macro-prudential framework for non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI). As developing and integrating Europe’s capital markets can help to provide innovative companies with risk capital, non-systemic NBFI entities should not be overburdened with micro-prudential regulation. However, the build-up of systemic risks in the NBFI sector must be addressed before they reach a dangerous level and central banks are forced to come to the rescue. This paper makes recommendations for tackling the structural vulnerabilities posed by NBFIs and their potentially dangerous ties with banks and the broader economy. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/a-macro-prudential-framework-for-nbfi-in-the-eu ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Guttenberg, Lucas A1 - Redeker, Nils T1 - Luft nach oben: Wieso die EU-Fiskalregeln Spielraum für eine Reform der Schuldenbremse lassen N2 - In Deutschland hat sich eine rege Debatte darüber entsponnen, ob und wie die Schuldenbremse zu reformieren sei, um wichtige Investitionsbedarfe stemmen zu können. Gegen eine Reform wird allerdings immer wieder vorgebracht, die gerade erst reformierten EU-Fiskalregeln seien für Deutschland im Ergebnis restriktiver als die Schuldenbremse. Träfe dies zu, wäre eine Reform der Schuldenbremse entweder wertlos oder aber der neu geschaffene Spielraum könnte nur zum Preis des Bruchs europäischer Regeln genutzt werden. In diesem Policy Brief untersuchen wir die Interaktion zwischen den EU-Fiskalregeln und der Schuldenbremse und kommen zu einem differenzierten Ergebnis: Erstens enthalten die europäischen Regeln systematisch mehr Spielraum für schuldenfinanzierte Ausgaben als die Schuldenbremse. Dieser zusätzliche Spielraum ergibt sich sowohl bei der Festlegung des mehrjährigen Ausgabenpfades wie auch danach bei der Überwachung der Regeln. Der Spielraum wächst zweitens dadurch, dass schuldenfinanzierte Ausgaben für die Stärkung von Wachstum und Wachstumspotenzial genutzt und sie von Reformen begleitet werden, die das Wachstumspotenzial anheben. Drittens beschränken die europäischen Regeln die Ausweitung konsumtiver Ausgaben deutlich. Eine Ausnahme hiervon bilden allerdings Verteidigungsausgaben. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/de/publikationen/detail/publication/wieso-die-eu-fiskalregeln-spielraum-fuer-eine-reform-der-schuldenbremse-lassen PB - Jacques Delors Centre, Bertelsmann Stiftung ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Quaritsch, Luise T1 - A new European Democracy Agenda – The Commission's security focus and what it misses N2 - Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines cite security, prosperity, and democracy as overarching priorities for the next five years. This emphasis appears appropriate, considering that the quality of democracy has been declining significantly across Europe in the past decade. But while democracy is named as a priority, von der Leyen’s proposed action in this area for the next legislative period is limited: democracy is framed mostly as a security issue, with threats stemming from hostile foreign actors in the online information space. This approach risks disproportionately occupying attention that leave other, internal threats to democracy in the EU unaddressed or deprioritised. This paper proposes four areas for action over the next legislative period to more effectively and comprehensively address the risks that European democracy currently faces. First, the Commission should re-evaluate its current legislative agenda for fostering democracy. Second, it should support civil society organisations, human rights defenders and independent journalists, including through funding. Third, it should make use of the available financial tools to protect the EU budget. Fourth, it should contribute to devising and protecting minimum standards for democracy. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/a-new-european-democracy-agenda ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Leichthammer, Arthur A1 - Fabry, Elvire T1 - The EU’s Art of the Deal: Shaping a unified response to Trump’s tariff threats N2 - Donald Trump’s re-election as US president presents the European Union with significant economic and political challenges. The prospect of unilateral and aggressive US trade policies risks undermining the EU’s collective economic interests and fragmenting its unity. However, the EU is better prepared to navigate these challenges than during Trump’s first term. This policy brief explores the economic vulnerabilities the EU is exposed to by Trump’s foreign economic policy and investigates the expanded tools at the EU’s disposal to fend off this threat. Through a mix of deterrence strategies and targeted incentives such as increased energy and defence procurement, the EU can bolster its negotiating position, which strength will fundamentally rest on its unity. Moreover, the brief advocates for structural diversification of trade relationships to safeguard its long-term economic resilience. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/the-eus-art-of-the-deal ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Leichthammer, Arthur T1 - Welcoming Chinese FDI with open arms - and a clenched fist N2 - Despite imposing substantial anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese EVs, the EU has wisely kept the door open for Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) across the EV value chain. Chinese FDI can enhance EU competitiveness by introducing high-value jobs, technological transfers, and innovation. However, these economic benefits are not given. If gone unchecked, FDI could be used to circumvent tariffs without bringing added economic value, could undermine fair competition within the Single Market and bring security risk. A robust framework is needed to mitigate these risks. Three priorities stand out: ensuring that value is created within the Union and key components are produced locally, applying the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) to safeguard fair competition, and harmonising security standards to manage risks more effectively. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/how-to-deal-with-chinese-fdi ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Dawson, Mark A1 - Akbik, Adina T1 - The role of the European Council in the EU constitutional structure: Study requested by the AFCO Committee N2 - This study was commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the AFCO Committee. It examines the evolving role of the European Council in the EU’s constitutional structure. As the study demonstrates, the increasing tendency of the European Council to instruct other EU institutions and its limited accountability have established an increasing gap between its de jure role under the EU Treaties and its de facto power in the larger system of EU governance. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/IPOL_STU(2024)760125 PB - European Union ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dawson, Mark A1 - Bobić, Ana T1 - Unpacking Legal Accountability: The Case of the European Central Bank JF - Politics and Governance N2 - Although the term “legal accountability” increasingly appears in scholarly discourse surrounding the European Central Bank (ECB), it is under-theorised. This article explores three different dimensions of legal accountability, which are often confused. Accountability to law refers to accountability to legal rules and standards. Accountability through law refers to achieving routes of administrative and political accountability through legal institutions. Accountability of law implies the accountability of legal institutions themselves to the wider public (and other courts) for their decisions. We argue that these dimensions are deeply connected in the sense that either improvements or failures along one dimension are easily carried to the others. We demonstrate the argument by applying our concept of legal accountability to ECB activity, comparing judicial review in the context of monetary policy with the Single Supervisory Mechanism. These cases suggest a possible vicious rather than virtuous circle of legal accountability, i.e., a tendency for either unclear legal standards or lack of accountability of courts themselves to undermine accountability for ECB activity as a whole. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.8907 VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dawson, Mark T1 - The Changing Substance of European Law JF - European Constitutional Law Review N2 - Intrinsic relation between form and substance in law and between the institutional law of the EU and its substantive goals – idea and criteria for a ‘substantive core’ to the legal order – the internal market as early EU law’s substantive core – the EU’s changing policy substance and the subsequent ‘de-coring’ of the legal order – the consequences of de-coring and its impact on EU law’s relevance and legitimacy – early attempts to reconcile EU law with the changing substance of EU policy. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S1574019624000233 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library VL - 20 IS - 3 SP - 451 EP - 481 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Jäger, Philipp T1 - Utilising national subsidies for EU industrial policy N2 - Achieving the EU’s industrial policy objectives requires large-scale public financial support. Since EU-level funds are scarce at least in the short term, national state aid must be relied on to fill the gap. However, national state aid is currently not coherently directed at EU priorities, nor are the selection and disbursement mechanisms harmonised across member states, resulting in an ineffective and inefficient policy landscape. This policy brief analyses the instruments the EU already has at its disposal to better align national state aid, and recommends new tools for addressing the gaps identified. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/national-subsidies-for-eu-industrial-policy ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hansum, Romy T1 - 'Why organizations leave money on the table: explaining non-demand for EU funds' JF - Regional & Federal Studies N2 - The effectiveness of EU funds depends on their full and proper absorption, yet even regions with high administrative capacities face difficulties in the use of funds. This calls for more attention to a puzzling aspect: numerous potentially eligible organizations do not apply for EU funds. Unlike most previous studies, this analysis examines non-demand and a region with high administrative capacities. The first broad empirically grounded analytical framework of non-demand for EU cohesion funds is developed based on in-depth interviews with actual and potential beneficiaries and experts. It shows the main drivers for non-demand: unawareness of the offer, high administrative burden, and low perceived need for additional funding. Moreover, organization type and size are important moderators. Non-demand also causes adjustments in the supply of funds. These findings suggest that future EU implementation research should expand its focus to examine (non-)demand, as well as its dynamic interplay with the administration. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13597566.2025.2485052 SN - 1359-7566 N1 - Open Access publication is funded by the Hertie School Library SP - 1 EP - 27 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Nguyen, Thu T1 - What the EU should do about Viktor Orbán N2 - The European Council summit on March 20 ended, like the one two weeks earlier, with two conclusions: one adopted by all 27 member states and another on Ukraine, approved by 26 leaders without Hungary to bypass Viktor Orbán’s veto. While in this case only with symbolic consequences, the pro-Russian, authoritarian-leaning government in Budapest regularly undermines the EU’s ability to act. This is not a new problem. But in a radically changed global landscape, the EU must finally address it. It should do so in three steps: withholding EU funds, politically isolating Hungary, and suspending its voting rights. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/what-the-eu-should-do-about-viktor-orban ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Quaritsch, Luise T1 - Free speech and fair rules - How the EU can protect the integrity of democratic discourse online N2 - Elon Musk has used his platform X as a megaphone to promote the far-right party AfD in German elections, spread disinformation across Europe and fuel riots in the UK. While other online platforms might not seem to have a similarly blatant political agenda, reports about Russian interference campaigns and non-transparent amplifications of certain political actors on social media persist. This is a problem for free and fair political competition and for democratic discourse in Europe. The principles of fairness and equal opportunity require that political actors are free to make their voices heard on a level playing field. On online platforms, an increasingly important arena for democratic discourse, that fairness appears to depend mainly on the goodwill of a few American tech oligarchs. But the EU is not powerless in the face of this. This policy brief explores what threats online platforms like X pose for public discourse in Europe and what the EU can do to mitigate them. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/free-speech-and-fair-rules ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Leichthammer, Arthur T1 - Navigating the Geoeconomic Tide: The Commission’s quest for a policy compass N2 - In 2019, Ursula von der Leyen promised a geopolitical Commission. Back then, the proclamation was largely derided as empty rhetoric. However, in recent years, a dizzying number of geoeconomic initiatives have come from Brussels, revising and tweaking existing tools and measures, developing new instruments, and announcing a grand new European Economic Security Strategy. This policy brief examines the progress made and outlines the key challenges for the next Commission. While the current Commission expanded the EU‘s geoeconomic toolbox, the incoming Commission must prioritise harmonisation to prevent fragmentation, allocate substantial funds to enhance resilience, and streamline institutional processes to facilitate coherent policymaking at a European level. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/navigating-the-geoeconomic-tide ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Quaritsch, Luise T1 - Kein EU-Geld für Thüringen? - Die Anwendbarkeit von EU-Rechtsstaatlichkeitsmechanismen auf Regionen N2 - Am 1. September ist Landtagswahl in Thüringen. Dort könnte die rechtsextreme AfD mit deutlichem Vorsprung stärkste Kraft werden. Deshalb wird jetzt diskutiert, wie man Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit auf Landesebene vor autoritären Kräften schützen kann. Auch die EU könnte hier eine Rolle spielen. Bisher hat die Kommission hauptsächlich auf Angriffe auf demokratische Institutionen auf nationaler Ebene reagiert. Aber auch regionale Regierungen müssen sich an die Grundwerte der EU halten. In einem föderalen System wie Deutschland spielen die Bundesländer außerdem eine wichtige Rolle bei der Umsetzung von Europarecht und verwalten EU-Fördergelder in Milliardenhöhe. Die Analyse zeigt am Beispiel von Thüringen, dass die meisten Rechtsstaatlichkeitsinstrumente der EU auch auf regionaler Ebene angewandt werden könnten. Dabei wäre das Zurückhalten von EU-Fördergeldern das effektivste Mittel. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/de/publikationen/detail/publication/kein-eu-geld-fuer-thueringen ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Heimbach, Henriette T1 - A Watchdog on the Leash - 5 Years of Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly N2 - In March 2024, the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly (FGPA) celebrated its fifth anniversary. This binational forum can be viewed as a genuine step towards integration in Franco-German relations besides the Aachen Treaty. The FGPA is designed to be a watchdog over the Franco-German treaties and to bring together political actors of both countries to discuss and resolve conflictual issues and contribute to European initiatives. After five years of its being, the results are mixed. Franco-German governmental relations are more conflictual than ever. While the FGPA proved added value during the Covid-19 pandemic by convincing the French and German interior ministers to lift border controls, it has been notably reticent on the Ukraine war and other foreign policy conflicts. The FGPA would benefit by being bolder and extricating itself step-by-step from national political constraints. In this way, parliamentary dialogue can help the two key partners to find common ground on a range of European issues. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/a-watchdog-on-the-leash ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Kohlenberger, Judith T1 - Asylpolitischer Unterbietungswettbewerb ohne Gewinner: Warum es europäische Lösungen braucht N2 - Der Policy Brief thematisiert die Herausforderungen und Defizite der aktuellen europäischen Migrationspolitik, insbesondere den „Wettbewerb nach unten“ der Mitgliedstaaten, vor dem Hintergrund einer sich verschärfenden Migrationsdebatte in Deutschland. Immer mehr EU-Mitgliedsstaaten ergreifen restriktivere Maßnahmen, von Auslagerungsabkommen über Binnengrenzkontrollen bis hin zur Aussetzung des Asylrechts, was zu einer immer ungleicheren Verteilung des Migrationsdrucks in Europa führt. Nationale Alleingänge und populistische Rhetorik untergraben die Solidarität innerhalb der EU und führen zu einer Aushöhlung unionsrechtlicher Prinzipien. Dabei sind viele dieser Maßnahmen symbolischer Natur und verfehlen ihre intendierte Wirkung. Zielführender wäre das Hinarbeiten auf eine gemeinsame europäische Lösung, die faire Asylverfahren und menschenwürdige Unterbringung in allen Mitgliedsstaaten sicherstellt. Deutschland könnte hierbei eine Vorbildfunktion einnehmen, insbesondere durch die Umsetzung der jüngst beschlossenen Reform des Gemeinsamen Europäischen Asylsystems (GEAS) und eine stärkere Einbindung von EU-Institutionen zur Überwachung und Durchsetzung der Asylstandards. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/de/publikationen/detail/publication/asylpolitischer-unterbietungswettbewerb-ohne-gewinner ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Europe ventures forward: Getting the scaleup of cleantech right N2 - Public interventions that help European startups to scale up their businesses have so far focused mainly on establishing a functioning market for venture capital (VC) and making it attractive to private investors. However, VC funding in Europe remains a fraction of what is required, still relies heavily on the public purse and fails to channel resources into strategic green sectors. Changing this requires three measures. First, the EU should enable institutional investors to invest independently in VC. Second, the European Investment Fund should strengthen the sustainability impact of its support for VCs. And third, the European Investment Bank should expand its direct investments in cleantech scaleups that are too risky for private investors. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/venture-capital-getting-the-scaleup-of-cleantech-right ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Ostanina, Sascha A1 - Tardy, Thierry T1 - Turbo-charging the EU's defence industry and security posture N2 - The first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy and its financial leg, the European Defence Industrial Programme, saw the light of day in March 2024. The strategy seeks to ameliorate deficiencies in EU defence readiness identified in light of the Russo-Ukrainian war. It offers an ambitious agenda and tailor-made incentives designed to encourage EU member states to invest more, better, together, and European. The Jacques Delors Institute’s Associate Research Fellow Thierry Tardy and the Jacques Delors Centre’s Security Policy Fellow Sascha Ostanina argue that the strategy is a good start to motivate European countries for more action in the defence sector. However, as long as the EU fails to take on a larger defence mandate via treaty change, the strategy success will hinge upon whether the member states, and their respective industrial defence sectors, will be willing to step up to the plate. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/turbo-charging-the-eus-defence-industry-and-security-posture ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Karpenstein, Ulrich A1 - Nguyen, Thu A1 - Spieker, Luke Dimitrios T1 - A Matter of Solidarity: A New Approach to Revive Article 7 TEU Against Hungary N2 - Viktor Orbán increasingly undermines the EU’s collective interests. The Hungarian government systematically uses its veto powers to block Ukrainian military aid and accession negotiations and to dilute sanctions against Russia. An Article 7 TEU procedure launched against Hungary based on breaches of the rule of law has proven to be a dead end. Given the existential geopolitical threats the EU is facing, and the urgency with which it needs to support Ukraine, the time is nigh for a new approach. In this joint policy brief, Ulrich Karpenstein, Thu Nguyen, and Luke Dimitrios Spieker argue that rather than focusing on democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, which runs a high risk of being opposed by certain Member States, a new Article 7 TEU procedure should be initiated against Hungary based on a breach of solidarity in the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/a-matter-of-solidarity ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Nguyen, Thu A1 - Jansen, Jannik T1 - If Europe keeps placating its own far right, how can it possibly stand up to Trump? N2 - European leaders have been pulled to the right on migration, the climate crisis and Israel. Their weakness is undermining the democratic principles on which the EU was built. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/if-europe-keeps-placating-its-own-far-right-how-can-it-possibly-stand-up-to-trump ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Tordoir, Sander A1 - Redeker, Nils A1 - Guttenberg, Lucas T1 - How buy-European rules can help save Europe’s car industry N2 - Europe’s car industry faces a perfect storm. Chinese car exports are surging, European producers are being squeezed out of global markets, US tariffs are rising, and domestic demand remains 20% below pre-pandemic levels. Instead of sliding into a costly muddle of regulatory rollbacks, bailouts, and fragmented national subsidies, the EU should harness its single market - 450 million consumers and a vast corporate sector - to drive demand for Europe-made vehicles. That means co-ordinating consumer subsidies with a buy-European clause, applying it to both private and corporate fleets, and using it as a platform for reciprocal EV-subsidy agreements with trusted trade partners. A window for action is open: Germany, France, Italy, and Spain all need to renew their EV-support schemes in the coming months. Together, they represent 70% of EU car registrations—and could launch broader European coordination. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/detail/publication/how-buy-european-rules-can-help-save-europes-car-industry PB - Bertelsmann Stiftung CY - Gütersloh ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Mack, Sebastian T1 - Get your act together – The EU must push ahead with banking union to boost confidence in its banking system N2 - EU banks have so far weathered the storm caused by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and sharp interest rate hikes. However, the failure of Credit Suisse and three US tech banks underlines how quickly investor and creditor trust can erode, prompting regulators to intervene and governments to provide public support. While swift and decisive action in the US and Switzerland prevented a systemic bank crisis, the EU will struggle to preserve financial stability if things go badly wrong. To boost confidence in its banking system, it is therefore high time for the EU to push ahead with banking union. To get its act together, the EU should 1) improve banks’ resilience by adopting strict prudential regulation instead of creating new vulnerabilities, 2) make the crisis management framework more credible to ensure that banks can fail without using taxpayers’ money, and 3) put in place European backstops to bank resolution and deposit insurance to withstand a systemic crisis. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/publications/banking-union-boost-confidence ER -