In 2005 the stability pact of the EU was reformed. The revision followed upon violations of the EU fiscal rules by several countries and the breakdown of the pact’s enforcement mechanism.

This report concerns the role of the national courts in the application and enforcement of Community law. According to the author the European Union is presently under a "constitutional momentum".

In discussions on priorities in the European Union, a formula often invoked is that of European added value. The present study seeks to shed light on this concept by tracing its intellectual origins, examining its use in three policy areas and suggesting ways of converting it from an all-purpose mantra into an efficient tool for priority-setting and policy choices.

This study investigates the nature of the relationship between small states and the European Commission, posing the question whether the Commission is a small state's "best friend". Focusing in particular on the Belgian, Greek, Finnish and Hungarian experience, the key findings indicate that the small state-Commission relationship is not as straightforward as the "best friend" analogy may suggest.

The countries in "the class of 2004" are now full-fledged members of the European Union, with equal rights to participate in the policy process shaping its future. This implies a quality leap in their political status.

The last decades have been characterized by deep regional integration in Europe as well as the emergence of new integration agreements in other parts of the world. This process has spurred an extensive debate about what the economic effects of integration are, both on insiders and outsiders.

This paper looks at the evolution of Britain’s role in Europe in the light of the issues facing the UK Presidency in the second half of 2005 The report was presented at the seminar The UK 2005 Presidency: Beyond the British Question? and is a part of the research project The EU Presidencies.  2005:2op The UK 2005 Presidency: Beyond the British Question? (168.

Published in April 2005, this paper assesses the Luxembourg presidency, with a particular focus on the Stability and Growth pact and the Lisbon Process, two major challenges for the presidency. The report was presented at the seminar The Luxemburg 2005 Presidency: Priorities and Strategy and is a part of the research project The EU Presidencies.

This paper looks at the key political dynamics involved in the process of Turkish accession to the EU, on both the Turkish and the EU sides. It asks: whether Turkish political reforms will be successfully completed and what are the main challenges; what will be the most important issues in negotiations and how the political dynamics around the negotiation process may develop, and what political impact Turkey will have on the EU, given its size, location, and its ongoing and radical political, economic and social transition? The report was presented at the seminar The Political Implications of Turkish Accession to the EU and is a part of the research project Borders of the new EU - possibilities and challenges.

This report gives an overview of the Commission’s agenda for European governance reform as set out in the White Paper of Governance adopted by the Commission in 2001, focusing on how the Commission envisages its own role in the EU decision-making process. Furthermore, it describes how a number of follow-up documents adopted by the Commission have essentially given effect to the initial recommendations and proposals set out in the White Paper.