During the past months, we have witnessed increasing activity regarding the establishment of a European External Action Service (EEAS) – one of the most emblematic innovations that the Treaty of Lisbon introduces to strengthen the EU external action. While the details of the EEAS organisation and functioning are still under (intense) discussion, this Analysis sheds light on the political and legal contexts in which the EEAS is being set up, and raises some questions as to its possible contribution to the development of a common European diplomacy.

The Stability and Growth Pact must be reinforced, have greater automaticity and entail graduated sanctions. Fiscal surveillance must be improved through the establishment of a European Fiscal Stability Agency and the European Financial Stability Facility must be made permanent.

The recent financial and economic crisis had particularly severe employment and welfare implications for newly flexible labour markets. Only a coherent approach to the integration of markets and market-correcting policies may in the future prevent uncoordinated social and employment policies from endangering the political sustainability of economic integration, writes the author of this analysis.

The debate on reform of the EU budget has hitherto primarily centred on how EU money should be spent. But a true reform calls for serious handling of the financing of the budget as well, argues the author of this new analysis.

The process of reforming the legislation in the area of financial services in the EU has been going on since the late 1990´s. This analysis presents a brief history on that process.

The presumption that undocumented migrants are outside the law is wrong. This is one the conclusions in a new European Policy Analysis, with contributions from six researchers at Lund University.

Swedish public opinion on EU Affairs has undergone considerable changes since 1995 and Swedes are gradually becoming more positive to membership. According to the latest survey there is, for the first time since 1995, a majority of Swedes are in favour of membership in the European Union.

In October 2010 the European Commission finally released the communication on the 2008/9 review of the EU budget. Professor Iain Begg concludes in his analysis that even though the political obstacles to EU budget reform are formidable, there should be plenty to debate in months to come, for example which expenditures to cut; what to do with the CAP; and a number of aspects related to Cohesion policy.

The Lisbon Treaty has profoundly changed the judicial foundation of the so called comitology. What previously was enclosed in a single treaty article, is now divided in two separate articles and the idea is that the comitology will remain in only one of them.

The debate about a social Europe has lasted for a long time but led to modest results. The Lisbon Treaty states, for the first time, that the EU is a social market economy.