European Union or European variations? On the future of European integration (Lecture in Dutch)
Time and again the EU is confronted with complex policy problems and crises. Examples are the financial crisis, the refugee crisis, the outbreak of diseases such as Ebola, or the Brexit. Often the EU does not manage to respond to such situations timely and adequately, and we increasingly hear pleas for a more differentiated European integration. The French president Macron wants to steer the EU via ‘concentric circles’, or a ‘core Europe’. In its latest report, the Dutch Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) speaks of much-needed ‘European variations’. It seems that the future of integration lies in some form of multi-speed Europe. In this lecture, Professor Versluis discusses the pros and cons of this route to European integration. She will illustrate that for some complex problems a multi-speed answer might be the only possibility, while for other types of policy issues it is only likely to create more problems. (Lecture is in Dutch)
Dudok Den Haag
About the speaker
Prof. Dr. Esther Versluis is professor of European Regulatory Governance at Maastricht University. She teaches courses related to EU policy-making for which she wrote the student textbook ‘Analyzing the European Union policy process’ (Palgrave Macmillan). Esther published widely on the implementation of European Union (EU) legislation at the member state level. How can we explain and contribute to a better understanding of problems related to the national implementation of international policy? Her second core research line concentrates on how risks are being regulated in the EU. Focusing on key policy sectors such as chemical safety, food safety and GMOs, Esther explores how risks are being regulated at the European level via the use of agencies. Her research can be found in, amongst others, the Journal of Common Market Studies, the Journal of European Public Policy, and the European Journal of Risk Regulation.
This lecture is part of traditional series of lectures for alumni; the UM Star Lectures. The other 13 lectures are organized in 13 different cities and 5 countries on the same day at the same time. This event is organized to reach out to and inspire alumni, share academic insights, experiences and memories and to create an interconnected UM Alumni Community.