Leader
Centre for International Information and Documentation in Barcelona (CIDOB), Spain
https://www.cidob.org/en
Participants
Centre for International Information and Documentation in Barcelona, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Centre for European Reform, Institute for European Politics, European Policy Centre, University of Geneva, Sabancı University, Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” – Skopje
Objectives
The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) covers a wide range of policies from the management of the European Union’s external borders, to judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters, police cooperation, fight against crime, or asylum and immigration issues. Since the very beginning AFSJ has been characterised by a large degree of fragmentation and differentiation in the framework of the European integration. In this WP we will focus on the analysis of some of the main topics in which differentiation can have a substantial impact on the structure and coherence of the EU. Analysing 4 cases studies we will try to give a picture of how differentiation worked in the past, how it is working currently and how it will do in the future in terms of assessing opportunities, benefits and risk of more or less differentiation. In other words, we are interested in analysing to what extend different degrees and types of differentiation in the AFJS are compatible with and conductive to an effective, cohesive and democratic Union?
This WP will have 4 specific objectives:
- To map evidence on differentiation related with AFSJ through previous analysis and primary and secondary data.
- To contribute data and knowledge on the main factors/conditions of differentiation to an effective, cohesive and democratic Union in AFSJ.
- To contribute data and knowledge on the main consequences of differentiation to an effective, cohesive and democratic Union in AFSJ.
- To provide policy recommendation to support EU and national policy-makers to take decisions about the adequacy of a differentiation in the AFJS.