The Worlds of European Constitutionalism

Investigates the relationship between the EU, national and international legal orders through the lenses of constitutionalism and pluralism.

Gráinne de Búrca (Edited by), J. H. H. Weiler (Edited by)

9780521177757, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 October 2011

354 pages
22.8 x 15.3 x 1.6 cm, 0.57 kg

'This is an illuminating collection of innovative essays about the EU's struggle for constitutional authority in a world of ever more overlapping legal regimes and competing claims of authority both in the European Union and on the global level. The editor's 'Dialogic epilogue' with the authors is an intellectual treat, and a highlight of this collection of excellent chapters.' Ulrich K. Preuß, Hertie School of Governance

The idea of the EU as a constitutional order has recently taken on renewed life, as the Court of Justice declared the primacy of EU law not just over national constitutions but also over the international legal order, including the UN Charter. This book explores the nature and character of EU legal and political authority, and the complex analytical and normative questions which the notion of European constitutionalism raises, in both the EU's internal and its external relations. The book culminates in a dialogical epilogue in which the authors' arguments are questioned and challenged by the editor, providing a unique and stimulating approach to the subject. By bringing together leading constitutional theorists of the European Union, this book offers a sharp, challenging and engaging discussion for students and researchers alike.

Introduction Gráinne de Búrca and J. H. H. Weiler
Prologue: global and pluralist constitutionalism - some doubts J. H. H. Weiler
1. The European Union as an international legal experiment Bruno De Witte
2. The place of European law Neil Walker
3. The ECJ and the international legal order: a re-evaluation Gráinne de Búrca
4. Local, global and plural constitutionalism: Europe meets the world Daniel Halberstam
5. The case for pluralism in postnational law Nico Krisch
Dialogic epilogue J. H. H. Weiler.

Subject Areas: International law [LB], Comparative law [LAM], EU & European institutions [JPSN2], International relations [JPS]