The EU is the world’s most developed example of transnational integration; research on the European institutions, governance and democracy has long been at the core of our work. We aim to understand the interaction of different dimensions of integration, and to evaluate their characteristics and tensions. In addition, the Union provides us with a rich laboratory for the study of multi-leveled governance, new modes of governance and governance tools which the EU utilises to address societal challenges.
The legacy of the Eurozone and migration crises, in addition to Brexit, compel us to revisit the big questions of integration: what kind of polity is emerging in the EU, and how does it ensure a balanced relationship between the whole and the member states? How can the EU retain its core values when faced with growing illiberalism and authoritarianism in a number of member states?
The Robert Schuman Centre comprises several institutional nodes that underpin this research theme, most notably, the European Governance and Politics Programme (EGPP) launched in 2018, the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom and the Centre for Judicial Cooperation.
Past projects fall under this umbrella too. The research project, ITHACA (2013-2015), explored the interconnections between migrants’ integration process and their transnational mobility. TRAFFICKO (2015-2016) assessed responses to trafficking for labour exploitation in Italy and proposed alternative frameworks for the prevention and protection of victims.
The European Governance and Politics Programme