Developing a Constitution for Europe

The European Union is presently at a crossroad. The prospect of enlargement has led to a project of comprehensive reform. Existing structures – originally designed for just six members – need to change. The Constitutional Convention has succeeded in forging a draft Treaty Establishing the Constitution for Europe but these developments raise fundamental issues of legitimacy and democratic accountability. This book aims to address the challenge of forging a legitimate Constitution for the EU and explores the questions: *Does the EU need a constitution and, if so, what is to be constituted? *Can such a constitution be made by a non-state entity? *How could the constitution be made and what is the role of the Convention on the Future of Europe? The authors aim to clarify the constitutional status of the EU, to take stock of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and Convention of the Future of Europe as vehicles to foster and create a European constitution. Developing a Constitution for Europe should interest students and researchers of European Politics.

Author Biography

Erik O. Eriksen is Professor of Political Science at University of Oslo and Professor II at The University College of Oslo. John Erik Fossum is Senior Researcher at ARENA, University of Oslo, and Associate Professor at the University of Bergen. Agustín José Menéndez is Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Universidad de León, Professor at the Instituto Universitario Ortega y Gasset and CIDEL fellow at ARENA, University of Oslo.