Less Than a state, more than an international organization: The Sui generis nature of the European Union

Hlavac, Marek (2010): Less Than a state, more than an international organization: The Sui generis nature of the European Union.

Abstract

In this paper, I show that the European Union (EU) is less than a state, but more than an international organization. Although it possesses some characteristics of both, the European Union is, I argue, a sui generis project: Although the EU wields extensive influence in some policy areas (such as competition policy or international trade regulation), its institutions’ powers are quite limited in many areas that remain firmly within the grasp of its Member States’ governments (such as security, justice, tax or redistribution policies). The European Union’s supranational elements – especially the EU laws’ supremacy over the laws of individual Member States – distinguish it, furthermore, from international organizations, such as the United Nations or the World Trade Organization. I conclude that the European Union is really a sui generis project that has not been attempted anywhere else: As such, it could be regarded as a useful case study, or perhaps even a “pilot project,” for regional integration projects elsewhere.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: European Union; regional integration; international organization; multilevel governance; security policy; tax policy; redistribution policy; European Union law; supranational institutions
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F13 - Trade Policy ; International Trade Organizations; F - International Economics > F5 - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy > F53 - International Agreements and Observance ; International Organizations

References

Becker, Sascha O., Peter H. Egger and Maximilian von Ehrich. (2010). “Going NUTS: The effect of EU Structural Funds on regional performance,” Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 94, No. 9-10, 578-590.

Borrell, Brent and Lionel Hubbard. (2000). “Global economic effects of the EU Common Agricultural Policy,” Economic Affairs, Vol. 20, No. 2, 18-26.

Bunse, Simone. (2010). “Why the EU?” Lecture Notes for Politics and Policy of the European Union. Fall 2010 Semester. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University.

Chalmers, Damian, Gareth Davies and Giorgio Monti. (2010). European Union Law. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Conley, Laura K. “Optional Supranationality: Redefining the European Security and Defense Policy,” Middletown, CT: Wesleyan College.

Daily Telegraph, “Czech President Vaclav Klaus signs EU Lisbon Treaty into law,” 3 November 2009

Dinan, Desmond. (2005). Ever Closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration. Fourth Edition. Palgrave Macmillan.

Donahue, J. D. and Mark A. Pollack. (2001). “Centralisation and its discontents: the rhythms of federalism in the US and the EU.” In Nicolaidis, K. and Howse, R., The Federal Vision: Legitimacy and Levels of Governance in the US and the EU. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

The Economist, “Britain’s Eurosceptics Show Their True Colours,” 4 March 2009.

European Police Office (EUROPOL). 2010. Official Website. Available at: http://www.europol.europa.eu/

European Union. (2010). “The European Commission.” Available at: http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/comm/index_en.htm

European Union. (2010). “The European Social Fund.” Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/esf/discover/esf_en.htm

European Union. (2010). “Infringement Proceedings.” Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/infringements/infringements_en.htm

European Union. (2010). “The Structural Funds: 2000-2006.” Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funds/prord/sf_en.htm

Follesdal, Andreas and Simon Hix. (2006). “Why There is a Democratic Deficit in the EU: A Response to Majone and Moravcsik,” Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 44, No. 3, 533-562.

Gabel, Matthew J. (1998). “The Endurance of Supranational Governance: A Consociational Interpretation of the European Union,” Comparative Politics, Vol. 30, No. 4, 463-475.

Gabel, Matthew J. (2009). “The European Union: A United States of Europe,” pp. 53-103 in W. Phillips Shively, Comparative Governance, McGraw Hill Custom Publishing.

Grant, Ruth W. and Robert O. Keohane. (2005). “Accountability and Abuses of Power in World Politics,” American Political Science Review, Vol. 99, No. 1, 29-43.

Hufbauer, Gary and Costantino Pischedda. (2007). “After Doha: Evolution or Revolution in the World Trading System?” CATPRN Commission Paper, Canadian Agricultural Trade Policy Research Network, No. 2007-1.

Jachtenfuchs, Markus. (2002). “Democracy and Governance in the European Union,” European Integration Papers, Vol. 1, No. 2. Available at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=302660

Keohane, Daniel. (2004). “A Guide to the Referenda on the EU Constitutional Treaty,” Center for European Reform. Available at: http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/briefing_referenda.pdf

Keohane, Robert. (1994). “Rejoinder to Mearsheimer: The False Promise of International Institutions,” International Security, Winter 1994/1995, 5-49.

Majone, Giandomenico. (1998). “Europe’s ‘Democratic Deficit’: The Question of Standards,” European Law Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1, 5-28.

Mearsheimer, John. (1994). “The False Promise of International Institutions,” International Security, Winter 1994/1995, 5-49.

Moravcsik, Andrew. (2002). “In Defence of the ‘Democratic Deficit’: Reassessing Legitimacy in the European Union.” Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 40, No. 4, 603-624.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2007). “Total tax revenue as a percentage of GDP.” Available at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/48/27/41498733.pdf

Pierson, Paul. (1995). European Social Policy: Between Fragmentation and Integration. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.

Pollack, Mark A. (2005). “Theorizing EU Policy-Making,” In Wallace, H., Wallace W. and Pollack M. Policy-Making in the European Union. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Ruszkowski, Janusz. (2009). “Supranationalism between the nation-state and international cooperation,” Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research, Vol. 1, No. 1, 4-10.

Scott, Joanne and David M. Trubek. (2002). “Mind the Gap: Law and New Approaches to Governance in the European Union,” European Law Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1-18.

Scharpf, Fritz W. (1999). Crisis and Choice in European Social Democracy. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Tsebelis, George and Geoffrey Garrett. (2000). “Legislative Politics in the European Union,” European Union Politics, Vol. 1, No. 1, 9-36.

Desai, Raj M. and James Raymond Vreeland. (2010). “A Suggestion for the IMF: Embrace Regionalism.” In Ulrich Volz and Aldo Caliari (Eds.), Regional and Global Liquidity Arrangements, German Development Institute.

Waltz, Kenneth N. (2000). “Structural Realism After the Cold War,” International Security, Vol. 25, No. 1, 5-41.

Weber, Max. (1919). “Politics as a Vocation,” (“Politik als Beruf”). In Weber, Max. 1895/1994. “The Nations State and Economic Policy (Freiburg Address)” in Weber: Political Writings. ed./trans. P. Lassman and R. Speirs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Williams, Charles. (1997). “The Last Great Frenchman: A Life of General De Gaulle.” Wiley Publishing.