Towards a More United and Effective Europe: A Framework for Analysis

This paper sets out the conceptual framework of the project "Towards a More United and Effective Europe". As the unprecedented financial crisis and ensuing economic recession push Europe to the brink, a critical question arises as to what are the foreseeable trajectories affecting EU governance and policy in decades ahead. The crisis has already accelerated policy and institutional evolution in key areas, but the integration project remains torn apart by centrifugal forces. The challenge at hand is that of delineating (a) what kind of model of governance the EU could head towards, and (b) which of these models is fitter for the purpose of a more united, effective, governable and legitimate EU.