The Governance of the European Union and the Internal-external Nexus

This book examines, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the governance of the European Union and how and where the internal and external spheres of governance meet. Traditionally, the law and politics of the European Union have been studied separately, and have either focused on internal governance and its institutional mechanisms, or external relations/foreign policy. This book takes an innovative approach in looking to how the different internal and external spheres come together, identifying the institutional tensions and tracking the opportunities and constraints on the EU institutions to fulfil the aims of the Treaties. In doing so, the book challenges traditional views that internal and external spheres of governance are separate within the EU’s governance structures and instead considers the internal-external ‘nexus’ in important areas of EU law and policy-making.

Paul Cardwell identifies where the internal-external ‘nexus’ lies in key areas within the areas of competence of the EU, including: the internal market; freedom, security and justice; migration; environment; energy and agriculture. The book uses an institutionalist frame of analysis which allows an analysis of the EU institutions beyond the surface, to understand how institutional practices arise within the EU machinery, but with an emphasis on of law-making processes. Through a close examination of official documentation and the use of elite interviews, the extent to which practices have become established in terms of how the internal and external dimensions of EU governance come together across a variety of fields will illuminate the challenges and opportunities for European governance.

This book will prove illuminating for students and scholars of European Union Law, European Union Politics as well as policy-makers at the EU and national levels.