PRAISE FOR THE BOOK “...essential reading for anyone interested in the existence and exercise of EU powers in the field of criminal law. Öberg's critical examination of the constitutional constraints to EU action also raises many questions that are of great interest in other areas of EU competence. The book deserves a wide readership among scholars interested in the constitutional workings of the European Union.” Samuli Miettinen, University of Helsinki & Tallinn University "The main strength of this book lies in its comprehensiveness of dealing with the topical issue of EU regulatory criminal law from the fascinating perspective of limits to EU powers. Its particular contribution to existing scholarship in the field of EU criminal law concerns its focus on judicial checks on the exercise of competences as to which the book offers a convincing proposal for a stricter standard for judicial review in matters of regulatory criminal law and beyond." Professor Jannemieke Ouwerkerk, Leiden Law School "An excellent read on competence allocation in EU law and what it means in criminal law context. This book guides the reader through very complex questions of the contours of subsidiarity, national competences and the exact limits of EU powers. It also supplies up to date case studies of financial crimes and the need for the EU to act effectively and thereby increase confidence in the market and the challenges it may cause for national systems. A very timely contribution." Ester Herlin Karnell, VU University Amsterdam Pursuant to the precepts of EU law, EU policy-makers are bound to ensure that any EU legislation must fall within the remit of the EU's competences. This monograph looks at this highly contested issue, with particular reference to European Union criminal law. It looks at the powers enjoyed by the EU to impose criminal sanctions to suggest mechanisms by which legislative powers could be kept in check. The book argues that the main responsibility for providing checks against the exercise of EU power lies with the EU judiciary. It argues that the most effective form of review is procedural and through the case study of sanctions, provides the basis for such a review. Innovative, engaging and rigorous, this is an important publication both in the field of European criminal and constitutional law.

The reach of free movement within the EU Internal Market and what constitutes a restriction are the topics of this book. For many years the tension between free movement and restrictions have been the subject of intense discussion and controversy, and this includes the constitutional reach of the rights conferred by the Treaty of Lisbon. Anything that makes movement less attractive or more burdensome may constitute a restriction. Restrictions may be justified, but only if proportionate. The reach of free movement is fundamental to the Internal Market, both for the economic constitution and increasingly for individual rights in a European legal order that provides constitutional guarantees for rights, exceeding those of free movement. The interaction between fundamental rights and fundamental freedoms to movement distinguishes the EU legal order from the national legal systems. The book falls into four parts, ‘The reach of free movement’, ‘Justifications and Proportionality’, ‘Fundamental rights’, and ‘Looking Abroad’. The clear discussion of the fundamentals and dilemmas regarding the subject of this book should prove useful for academics, practitioners, graduate students as well as EU officials and judges wishing to stay updated on the ongoing scholarly debate regarding relevance to case law. Mads Andenas is Professor at the Department of Private Law, University of Oslo and at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, School of Advanced Studies, University of London. Tarjei Bekkedal is Professor at the Centre for European Law, University of Oslo and the Chair of the Norwegian Association for European Law. Luca Pantaleo is a Lecturer in EU law at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, who obtained a Ph.D. in International and EU Law in 2013 at the University of Macerata in Italy, and who was previously a Senior Researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Institute and Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg.

This title is a comprehensive textbook of EU constitutional law, setting out the structure, values, procedures, and policies of the European Union. It is a first point of reference for issues of EU constitutional law. The book encompasses six major parts. The first part addresses the formation history of the European Union, the treaties, the accessions, and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom. The second part covers the competences of the European Union. It contains an extensive analysis of the key constitutional principles governing the exercise of competences by the Union and the balance of power between the Union and its Member States, followed by an in-depth anaylsis of EU citizenship and the four freedoms, followed by an overview of the main internal and external policy domains. The third part addresses the role and workings of the various institutions (European Council, Council, European Parliament, Commission, European Court of Justice, and European Central Bank), the position of the Member States of the Union, and various other institutional matters. Part four explores the various decision-making processes, addressing not only the legislative and executive decision-making, but also the budget, CFSP, and external action. The fifth part looks at the legal instruments and the position of EU law in the EU and national legal orders, with an attention to the key principles of primary and direct effect, and the role of fundamental rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The final part sets out the complete and coherent system of judicial protection in the European Union, offering an overview of the various courses of action before the EU courts and in the national legal orders to enforce EU law or to obtain judicial protection.

This is an open access title available under the terms of a [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com. This thought-provoking book examines the socio-legal mechanisms that drive EU constitutional tensions, as well as the role of principles and values in re-directing EU law and policy towards a democratic Social Europe. It addresses the current limits of Social Europe in relation to different areas of EU law, offering a critical assessment of the present status of EU integration.

The classic debate surrounding the prolific role of the European Union in defining spheres of competence and power relationships has long divided scholarly opinion. However, in recent years, the long-standing acquiescence to the broad powers of the Union has given way to the emerging perception of a competence problem in Europe. For a long period it was taken for granted that the European Community could act whenever its action was justified on the basis of the widely interpreted objectives of the Treaties. However this context has since changed. There is a widespread perception of a competence problem in Europe and the overabundance of provisions limiting the Union's competences is one of the most obvious marks left by the Lisbon Treaty. This book discusses the extent to which the parameters of power throughout the Union and its Member States have been recast by the recent implementation of the Lisbon Treaty and doctrines developed by the European Court of Justice. Comprised of contributions from a vast array of leading practitioners and academics in the field of EU Law, this volume assesses the debate surrounding the political identity of the European Union, and further illustrates the relevance of the Federal theory of sharing competences for the development of EU Law. Finally, the question of new potential limits to Union's competence is addressed. If anything, this broad reflection on the notion of competence in the EU law context is a way of opening up the question of the nature and contours of the political identity of the European Union.