Multi-form non-compliance: Reinforcing the EU's crisis?

Tuesday, June 25, 2013
C1.23 (Oudemanhuispoort)
Gerda Falkner , Institute for European Integration Research, University of Vienna
The EU is at a decisive moment of its history, and confidence in the integration project seems a necessary condition for it to continue. Unfortunately, compliance problems have in recent years made a ‘qualitative leap’ downwards, as hinted by various indicators. To start with, infringements happen on multiple levels:
  1. non-compliance with summit decisions
  2. multiple deviations from agreed rules regarding EMU
  3. non-compliance with the EU’s basic democratic values
  4. failures to implement EU secondary law in the member states (i.e. transposition of directives and application of regulations, see Article 288 TFEU)
  5. non-respect for ECJ judgments and even penalization judgments

Additional indicators of an impending compliance crisis are that non-compliance happens with increasing frequency; with obvious visibility to a broad audience; and in fields of immediate relevance for basically all citizens, including all politicians.