ABSTRACT
The European Union, as noted in the Laeken Declaration, is at a critical crossroads (European Council 2001a). This notion of crossroads pertains to three critical dimensions. The first is the geographical scope of the future Union, where several stages of enlargement will make it a much larger and more diverse EU. The second is its institutional-constitutional status. Under the shadow of enlargement, the EU has launched a broad and deep review process on the fundamental aspects of the Union, so as to help it grapple with the challenges ahead. The third is the normative dimension and pertains to the political justifications and basis of legitimacy that the entity can and should draw upon. The Convention on the Future of Europe, it is here claimed, offers a unique contribution to the assessment as to whether, or the extent to which, the three dimensions have converged in its work and results.
