EU Policy and Governance

This chapter examines whether the efforts by the EU to confront the triple challenges of economic stagnation, climate change, and inadequate economic governance facing all Member States have been a help or a hindrance. It distinguishes between policies implemented directly at the EU level of governance and those that reflect Member States’ priorities and preferences. It finds that the EU has a patchy record and argues that, while the diagnoses emanating from the EU level have generally been well-founded, too many of the ensuing policy interventions have lacked the financial or political clout to make a significant difference. It concludes that the charge that the EU is part of the problem is exaggerated, but that what the EU does is often tangential to the Member States’ policy priorities or the EU’s needs.