Through the Lisbon Treaty, the national parliaments were entrusted with the task of reviewing proposals of EU legislation in the light of the principle of subsidiarity, a task which in the special protocol on subsidiarity is called the Early Warning Mechanism. In this analysis the author argues that the review should be seen as a constitutional dialogue and not as a narrow legal control.

The European economic crisis revived the discussion on future treaty revision. However, stringency of the revision procedure based on unanimity requirement presented an obstacle to fast resolution of complicated problems posed by the crisis.

Professor Christopher Lord, author of the present report On the Legitimacy of Monetary Union argues that both economists and political scientists have often failed to ask one of the most central questions, namely whether the monetary union can be considered legitimate.

The European Parliament elections in May 2014 will be the most important to date. With the new powers of the European Parliament under the Lisbon Treaty, a new majority will shape EU policies in many important areas, from regulation of the single market to the free movement of persons, international trade agreements, reform of the common agricultural policy, carbon taxes, and so on.

Four years have passed since the adoption of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). Ahead of the annual forum which is taking place in November 2013 in Vilnius, Kristine Kern and Stefan Gänzle analyse the evolution of the strategy’s governance and activities.

The fundamental task of the European Council has been to define the EU´s general political direction. Its influence and scope of intervention, however, is gradually increasing.

In this European Policy Analysis, Magnus Jerneck argues that enhanced cooperation between the euro countries presents Sweden with a decisive challenge. According to the author, EU Member States that choose to remain outside the Monetary Union will find it increasingly difficult to exert influence in the EU.

The confidence in the European Union project is waning because distinctions between political and economic liberalism are not clearly defined, Sverker Gustavsson argues in this European Policy Analysis. Political parties, interest groups and opinion-makers should therefore explain the significance of the project and shed light on inconsistencies.

The right to launch a European citizens' initiative was introduced on 1 April 2012. It gives EU citizens the possibility to propose legislation on matters where the EU has competence to legislate, and a number of initiatives are today registered on the EU Commission´s special website.

The Council of the European Union is certainly the most powerful institution of the European Union, as a major Community legislator – alone or with the European Parliament – and as an executive body. Still, there is only limited knowledge of the Council’s decision-making and how the Council reaches an agreement.