Promoting Solidarity in the European Union - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0199583188 ISBN 13: 9780199583188

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2010

Synopsis

The European Commission has claimed that 'Solidarity is part of how European society works...'. But how are we to understand solidarity, and what are its implications to Government policy? Promoting Solidarity in the European Union addresses the question of what solidarity might mean today and its relevance to the purposes of the European Union and the way it functions. Is solidarity just a slogan or can it have meaningful legal and policy content? This book brings together contributions from leading scholars in law, politics and sociology to discuss an idea that is coming under fresh scrutiny at a time when the EU's direction following the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty is hotly debated. The authors engage with both the content and limitations of solidarity as a concept in political and legal debate, and its application to specific fields such as migration, education and pensions policies.

Promoting Solidarity in the European Union provides a thoughtful and provocative analysis of the power and potential of solidarity, applying a sceptical and rigorous assessment of the conditions necessary for it to make a difference to the European political and legal space at a time when traditional manifestations of national solidarity (e.g. in health care) are perceived to be under threat from EU market liberalization policies. A number of contributions consider whether an EU concept of solidarity is possible and how that might affect the balance between market and social priorities for the Union's future.

If the EU is to be more than just a market, promoting solidarity as a value and a principle has a key role. This rich collection of essays explores how solidarity might fulfil its status as a core value for the Union.

About this title

About the Author

Malcolm Ross has been Professor of European Law at the University of Sussex since 2000. He has written extensively on a range of EU law topics, especially state aid, services of general economic interest and the constitutional jurisprudence of the Court of Justice. He is currently completing a monograph on Solidarity in EU Law, also to be published by OUP.

Yuri Borgmann-Prebil is currently Lecturer in Law at the University of Sussex. He holds degrees from the Universities of Cologne, East Anglia and Sussex.

Review

...a very central and impressive contribution, which is highly recommendable not only to EU lawyers, but also to others with a general interest in, e.g., the concept itself, the balance between market and social priorities, the influence of the EU liberalisation policies, the future of the national welfare states, social market economy and the development of a European Social Model. Altogether, I have enjoyed reading the book, which intelligent, timely and well written and edited...a fascinating and important subject. * Ulla Neergaard, University of Copenhagen * Ross and Borgman-Prebil's book is an excellent starting point...debates on solidarity in European law and legal literature in general, which is to be welcomed in the era of societal, economic and political change. * Egle Dagilyte, Legal Studies *

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0199583188
• ISBN 13: 9780199583188
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 332
• Editor: Ross Malcolm, Borgmann-Prebil Yuri