THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

On November 29th 2007, the Dutch United Nations Student Association (SIB Leiden) organized a Conference, titled: "The Future of the European Union - How to Proceed in an Ever Closer Union?" The conference was meant to offer students, young academicsand professionals the opportunity to engage in a debate with prominent scholars and politicians on the Future of Europe.

This book contains an overview of the various issues that were discussed during the conference and attempts to do justice to both the interdisciplinarity of the conference programme and the variety of people who attended. Therefore, readers will find contributions from both Dutch and international scholars; from young academics from SIB Leiden; and from various politicians and other professionals working daily on European Union issues. As this book offers a collection of essays resulting from a Dutch conference on an international topic, contributions are either in English or in Dutch. The editors have aimed at an equal number of English and Dutch texts.

This book does not claim to be exhaustive, nor does it attempt to offer one single vision of the Union''s future. Quite the contrary: the conference was meant to explore as many scenarios for the EU as possible, and to put every aspect of the European Union up for discussion. Each of the essays in this book thus explores one such aspect of the EU, and offers the author''s view of the road that has been taken, or should be taken. In this way, SIB Leiden sincerely hopes to contribute to a lively - and continuing - debate.

Contents:

Voorwoord
M.J.M. Verhagen, ''The Future of the European Union''
H.O. Ruding, ''The European Union 2005-2008: crisis, impasse or renewedprogress?''
A.W. Bos, ''Europese Regelzucht''
L. Siedentop, ''Some Constitutional Reflections''
E.H. Faber van der Meulen, ''EU Energy Policy: The conflict between an internal liberalisation agenda and external security of supply''
R.D. Praaning Prawira Adiningrat, ''The Future of European Security''
A.M.B. Chao, ''De abnormaal lage inschrijving vanuit de positie van de publiekrechtelijke instelling''
P.J. Slot, ''De Ontwikkeling van het Mededingingsrecht in de EG en Nederland''
S.P. van der Vaart, ''Er is weer een verhaal nodig bij Europa in de Nederlandse politiek''

SIB Leiden:
De Leidse Studentenvereniging voor Internationale Betrekkingen (SIB Leiden) werd opgericht in 1947 en heeft tot doel haarleden actief te betrekken bij de wereld van Internationale Betrekkingen en Diplomatie. De SIB is de officiele jongerenvereniging van de Verenigde Naties in Nederland. De vereniging is politiek neutraal, maar onderschrijft het Handvest der Verenigde Naties.