Across The EUniverse – Number Twenty two

The EU now heads into the summer break with much achieved but much left to be achieved. The problem of migration is still with us and no closer to a shared solution. There has been some loosening of the politics of austerity but there has been no progress on common budgets and financing. The EU is no closer to knowing what Brexit means because, quite simply, the UK does not know what it wants from Brexit. So on the big questions facing Europe there have been no concrete moves.

But there have been some achievements. The nationalist tide has been turned and there is a growing recognition among politicians and among the majority of EU citizens that the EU has a role to play in solving Europe’s problems. This is a legitimacy threshold for the EU as an institution that once crossed allows room for finding of practical compromise solutions.

There will be a delay till the Autumn while Germany votes. If Angela Merkel is re-elected for a fourth term I believe we can expect greater cooperation with France (and even Italy) to find practical solutions for the financing of states and the organization of national economies.

So it won’t be all change when we return in September but a certain excitement will be growing that change is in the air.

In this month’s Across we have two articles that look at the role of law in society. The first looks at the sustainability of law by asking whether the tradition approach to conflict resolution is sustainable in the long term. The second article suggests that the formulation of a common standard of private law could be a leading factor in the cultural integration of Europe. We also look at the law of concessions in relation to ports in Italy, the fact that the no deal position on Brexit actually put the UK is a very weak negotiating position with the EU, not the other way around and equity crowdfunding.

In addition to these heavyweight articles on the nature and the role of law we look back on some of the best articles in Across over the last 6 months. These include: The legal debate concerning an italian exit from the euro; Enhancing the bilateral framework between EU and US in energy. Or not; Critical features of the Insurance Distribution Directive; The Fondo Atlante rescue of two Venetian banks raises complex legal issues; The Special Report of European Courts of Auditors on maritime transport in the UE and its impact on Italy; The recast EU Regulation No. 2015/848 on insolvency procedures: a focus on group insolvencies; Food safety and transparency: labelling of alcoholic beverage and adoption of the Regulation on Official Controls in the agri-food chain; Single Market the Hearth of Europe; Brexit and the Single European Aviation market: first comments and reflections; and Mandatory origin label for rice and pasta: the Italian government decrees under the exam of the EC).