ABSTRACT

This edited volume explores the opportunities and challenges facing the European Union in the future from different disciplines and assesses the EU’s prospects across various policy areas.

Using the European Commission’s 2017 White Paper presenting five different scenarios for the future of Europe to 2050 as an organising framework for analysis and debate, the volume reflects upon the drivers of the EU’s future, including its changing place in an evolving world, a transformed economy and society, heightened threats and concerns about security and borders, and questions of trust and legitimacy. The concluding chapter summarises and compares the findings to determine which of the scenarios is the most instructive to understand and plan European Futures to 2050, and beyond.

This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European integration, EU politics/studies, and more broadly international relations, as well as European policy-makers.

chapter 1|17 pages

Introduction

European futures, past and present

part 1|55 pages

The future of EU financial, economic and social policies

chapter 2|16 pages

The EU capital market

‘Carrying on’ into the future?

chapter 3|21 pages

European economic governance

Past, present and future 1

chapter 4|16 pages

The future of EU social and labour market policy

Between a European social union and an EU regulatory welfare state?

part 2|54 pages

The future of EU environmental, digital and migration policies

chapter 5|16 pages

Environment and climate 2050

Common purpose or constraining dissensus?

chapter 6|16 pages

Normative, protective, transformative Europe

Digital and climate meta-policies

part 3|35 pages

The future of EU external relations

chapter 9|16 pages

EU foreign affairs and the future

Multilevel opportunities vs. multilayered risks

part 4|64 pages

European futures across policy areas

chapter 12|16 pages

The future of Europe

Alternative scenarios

chapter 13|11 pages

Conclusion

The future of European integration to 2050 across scenarios and policy areas