This collection discusses the challenges of reforming EU democracy through increased citizen participation beyond elections. It asks fundamental questions such as whether the institutionalisation of citizens in EU public law is a prerequisite for addressing these challenges and the extent to which such institutionalisation is taking place in the EU. To these ends, the contributors analyse the latest institutional initiatives, proposals and practices such as: *citizen assemblies; *citizen consultations and dialogues on European integration and draft legislation; *the Conference on the Future of Europe; *the reform of the European Citizens' Initiative; *the evolving role of the European Ombudsman; *citizen petitions to the European Parliament; *the roles of the civil society and the European Economic and Social Committee. Offering reflections on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, this book is a much needed reminder of the importance of the role of citizens in EU governance.

How can the European Union engage and connect with the people it aims to represent? What initiatives and schemes have been used to engage EU citizens? To what extent can such procedures be considered a move forward towards a more participative and democratic Europe? This collection of internationally recognised specialists in European integration and innovative democratic practices seek to answer these key questions, explore European citizens’ thoughts and opinions about the EU and evaluate the governing elite’s attempts to engage with the public. It offers critical analysis of EU justifications and strategies for implementing Deliberative Citizens Involvement Projects and focuses on some of the major participative experiences trialled and implemented by EU institutions. By comparing these different attempts to increase and bolster the participation of EU citizens and evaluating their impact the book offers valuable and original material on the civic involvement of EU citizens and the legitimacy of the EU decision making process.

What is the form of government of the European Union (EU)? And how is the institutional governance of the Eurozone evolving? These questions have become pressing during the last few years. On the one hand, the Euro-crisis and the legal and institutional responses to it have had major implications on the constitutional architecture of the EU and the Eurozone. On the other hand, the May 2014 elections for the European Parliament and the ensuing struggle to form the European Commission have brought to the fore new tensions in the EU political system. The purpose of this book, which brings together the contributions of EU lawyers, comparative constitutional lawyers and political scientists, from all over Europe and the United States, is to offer a new look at the form of government of the EU and the Eurozone and consider its potential for future development. While offering a plurality of perspectives on the form of government of the EU and the Eurozone, this book emphasises how the Euro-crisis represents a watershed in the process of European integration, makes the case for a more legitimate and effective form of government for the EU and the Eurozone, and identifies possible windows of opportunity for future treaty reforms. The volume will provide food for thought for scholars, policy-makers and the public at large as they continue debating the most apt form of government for the EU and the Eurozone.

The range, speed and scale of Europeanizing effects in education, and their complexity, has produced a relatively new field of study. Using scholarship and research drawn from sociology, politics and education, this book examines the rise of international and transnational policy and the flow of data and people around Europe to study Europeanizing processes and situations in education. Each chapter creates a space for policy research on European education, involving a range of disciplines to develop empirical studies about European institutions, networks and processes; the interplay between policy-makers, stakeholders, experts, and researchers; and the space between the European and the national. The volume investigates the construction of European education, exploring the consideration of the role of think tanks and consultancies, international organizations, researcher mobilities, standards, indicators of higher education, and cultural metaphor. Bringing together international contributors from a variety of disciplines across Europe, the book will be of key value to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of education studies, politics and sociology.

This book explores the multiple challenges that the global technology shift is posing to the EU. It raises the question of how European societies will mobilize the positive effects of the rapid technological advancement in digitalization, robotization, and artificial intelligence, while mitigating the negative consequences in terms of job losses, cybercrime, and social and political polarization. From the vantage point of experts from economics, law, and political science, this book provides insights into the role that the EU is and ought to be playing in regulating global platform companies, addressing taxation in the digital economy, mitigating job displacements on the labour market, and tackling ethical concerns of artificial intelligence and the prospect of digital democracy. All chapters are based on up-to-date research findings, succinct assessment of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates. They conclude with policy recommendations for policy makers on European and national levels. ‘This volume has a solid foundation in the highly topical question of technological change. More importantly, the individual chapters are written by qualified scholars whose analytically advanced contributions are likely to interest a wide audience. I can strongly recommend this book for scholars and students in political science, law, and economics.’ —Carl Fredrik Bergström, Professor of European Law, Uppsala University, Sweden ‘When the Commission took office in 2019, it put forward its vision as to how Europe’s digital future could be ‘shaped’ in a way that makes the digital transition enrich people’s lives and make sure that European businesses fully benefit from the opportunities offered by digital technologies. Then COVID drastically accelerated the take up of digital solutions. As the digital transformation affects every single one of us it is important that we have the widest possible debate on its inherent risks and opportunities. This is why I warmly recommend this book. It brings together an inter-disciplinary set of scholars able to analyse the multifaceted implications of the technological shift. And I could not agree more with the book’s main takeaway, i.e. that we need to create an adaptive regulatory framework capable of harnessing the positive effects of technological changes while buttressing the negative impact on European society and citizens.’ —Ambassador Kim Jørgensen, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner and Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission