Differentiated Integration

This section invites panel proposals and paper proposals on the theme of differentiated integration broadly speaking. Papers could examine differentiated integration, differentiation and differentiated disintegration from mainly empirical, conceptual, comparative, theoretical, or normative angles. We particularly welcome full panel proposals, but individual paper contributions are also welcome. - Panels/papers could focus on describing whether, and if so, how and in what sense the EU constitutes a distinctly differentiated political system. - Panels/papers could consider the causal drivers and effects of differentiated (dis)integration. - Panels/papers could compare the EU with other types of political entity, state-type and other with the view to increase our understanding of the EU. - Panels/papers could focus on different theoretical approaches to the study of differentiated integration, such as neo-functionalism, intergovernmentalism, historical and rational choice institutionalism. - Panels/papers could focus on the historical dimension: how differentiated political systems or arrangements have come about and whether there are relevant historical parallels. - Panels/papers could deal with the relationship between current affairs, such as ongoing and recent crises, and processes of integration/disintegration/differentiation. - Panels/papers could consider normative issues and challenges associated with differentiated integration such as the relationship between differentiated integration and democracy; the relationship between differentiated integration and dominance; questions of justice and fairness; and questions of solidarity. - Panels/papers could focus on EU-internal as well as EU-external factors, and on endogenous as well as exogenous mechanisms. - Panels/papers could discuss differentiated integration in relation to EU resilience. To what extent do increases or reductions in differentiation affect or shape EU resilience? - Contributions could focus on the debate on the future of Europe and different proposals for the EU’s future development, including such notions as a Europe of concentric circles; hard-core Europe; a multispeed Europe; a Europe a la carte. Other possible themes comprise the relationship between national identities and/or European identities with differentiated integration, exploring how collective identities are both a source and a consequence of integration/differentiation. Proposals may approach differentiation from a legal standpoint, dealing with advantages and drawbacks of constitutional pluralism and constitutional identity, in theory as well as in relation to current developments in specific countries such as Poland, Hungary, and Germany. Finally, contributions could single out specific countries for particular focus such as the UK post-Brexit.