Five Scenarios for Europe: Understanding the EU Commission’s White Paper on the Future of Europe

The European Commission has recently published a White Paper on the Future of Europe. With regards to the many crises the EU is currently facing, a coherent plan seems to be urgently needed. Instead of coming up with one single plan however, the Paper reflects five different scenarios

Towards Evidence-Based Legitimacy Interventions in EU Law: Challenges and Directions for Empirical Research

As EU institutions are increasingly being asked to address societal challenges, the legitimacy need of the EU becomes more evident. With the aim of complementing the already rich literature on normative EU legitimacy and ultimately enabling evidence-based legitimation strategies, this contribution identifies and addresses gaps in empirical research on perceived EU legitimacy, which pertain to conceptualization, operationalization and explanatory factors. To that end, we first of all define perceived EU legitimacy as the perception among EU citizens that the EU’s exercise of authority is appropriate. Drawing on the relational approach to legitimacy, these perceptions arise from socially held norms about how the EU should rightfully exercise authority, which are in turn influenced by the socio-political context. We then propose ways in which such a conception of legitimacy can be operationalized in empirical research. Finally, we lay the foundation for a theoretical model on the sources of EU legitimacy perceptions, arguing that such a model should consider social psychological processes related to identity and morality, because these factors influence how people process information about the EU, and are increasingly part of the environment in which norms about rightful rule arise. Once empirical research is better equipped to understand these processes underlying citizens’ legitimacy perceptions of the EU, opportunities arise to develop evidence-based interventions and inform legal practices in the EU with extra-legal insights. As EU legitimation through policies, legal reform and institutional design requires knowledge of legal feasibility, social scientists and lawyers should collaborate to embed empirical insights in EU law. Bridging the norm-fact divide in this manner is both normatively desirable and empirically necessary for the EU to strengthen its legitimacy and face societal challenges

The Integration of Subgroups at the Supranational Level: The Relation Between Social Identity, National Threat, and Perceived Legitimacy of the EU

Previous research suggests that social identity influences public attitudes about the European Union, but little is known about the role of social identity for perceived legitimacy of the EU. This article explores the relation between different forms of identification (national, EU, dual) and EU legitimacy perceptions, and the moderation of this relationship by experienced threat to national power and sociocultural identity. A survey was conducted in six countries (N = 1136). A factor analysis of legitimacy items resulted in two subscales (institutional trust and duty to obey). Separate regression analyses were therefore run on these subscales. All forms of identification were positively related to perceived EU legitimacy, while threat was a strong and universal negative predictor. However, the results suggest that national identification only positively predicted legitimacy when participants experienced no threat to their nation by the EU, while dual identification positively predicted legitimacy even when participants experienced threat. Overall, respect for national identities and their values may offer opportunities to safeguard and improve the perceived legitimacy of the EU. Findings are discussed in terms of the literature on the ingroup projection model and the common ingroup model

The Integration of Subgroups at the Supranational Level: The Relation Between Social Identity, National Threat, and Perceived Legitimacy of the EU

Previous research suggests that social identity influences public attitudes about the European Union, but little is known about the role of social identity for perceived legitimacy of the EU. This article explores the relation between different forms of identification (national, EU, dual) and EU legitimacy perceptions, and the moderation of this relationship by experienced threat to national power and sociocultural identity. A survey was conducted in six countries (N = 1136). A factor analysis of legitimacy items resulted in two subscales (institutional trust and duty to obey). Separate regression analyses were therefore run on these subscales. All forms of identification were positively related to perceived EU legitimacy, while threat was a strong and universal negative predictor. However, the results suggest that national identification only positively predicted legitimacy when participants experienced no threat to their nation by the EU, while dual identification positively predicted legitimacy even when participants experienced threat. Overall, respect for national identities and their values may offer opportunities to safeguard and improve the perceived legitimacy of the EU. Findings are discussed in terms of the literature on the ingroup projection model and the common ingroup model

The Integration of Subgroups at the Supranational Level: The Relation Between Social Identity, National Threat, and Perceived Legitimacy of the EU

Previous research suggests that social identity influences public attitudes about the European Union, but little is known about the role of social identity for perceived legitimacy of the EU. This article explores the relation between different forms of identification (national, EU, dual) and EU legitimacy perceptions, and the moderation of this relationship by experienced threat to national power and sociocultural identity. A survey was conducted in six countries (N = 1136). A factor analysis of legitimacy items resulted in two subscales (institutional trust and duty to obey). Separate regression analyses were therefore run on these subscales. All forms of identification were positively related to perceived EU legitimacy, while threat was a strong and universal negative predictor. However, the results suggest that national identification only positively predicted legitimacy when participants experienced no threat to their nation by the EU, while dual identification positively predicted legitimacy even when participants experienced threat. Overall, respect for national identities and their values may offer opportunities to safeguard and improve the perceived legitimacy of the EU. Findings are discussed in terms of the literature on the ingroup projection model and the common ingroup model

海事博物館企画展「進水式絵葉書にみる船の変遷」

textabstractThis study on the role of the EU in G20 has been conducted for the European Parliament (Directorate General for Internal Policies, Policy Department A: Economic and Scientific Policy). This study forms part of a series of nine studies on the role of the European Union in international economic prepared at the request of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament. It provides factual background information about the G20, the European Union's role and representation therein, its accountability as well as the coordination and impact thereof. The G20 has played a key role in measure taken to overcome the economic and financial crisis and promoted rules to prevent a repetition of such a crisis. The high compliance rate of the EU in implementing these commitments highlights the importance of the legally non-binding G20 commitments. Yet, the G20 is an informal international body where executives from officials’ up to leaders’ level meet. As a body G20 lacks meaningful accountability mechanisms. Moreover also the EU can hardly be held to account for its action at the G20 level. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the G20 and EU’s action at the G20 level. It sets out the EU legal framework for the participation of the EU and its Member States in the G20. In applying a two-tier accountability framework it identifies accountability gaps and concludes with policy recommendations

The European Union's Role in International Economic Fora : The G20

This paper provides factual background information about the G20, the EU’s role and representation therein, its accountability as well as the coordination and impact thereof. The G20 has played a key role in measures taken to overcome the economic and financial crisis and promoted rules to prevent a repetition of such a crisis. The high compliance rate of the EU in implemen¬ting these commitments highlights the importance of the legally non-binding G20 commit-ments. Yet, the G20 is an informal international body where executives from officials’ up to leaders’ level meet. As a body G20 lacks meaningful accountability mechanisms. Moreover the EU can hardly be held to account for its action at the G20 level. This study provides a thorough analysis of the G20 and EU’s action at the G20 level. It sets out the EU legal framework for the participation of the EU and its Member States in the G20. In applying a two-tier accountability framework it identifies accountability gaps and concludes with policy recommendations