Commentaries

Here you will find commentaries from staff members of the Institute for European Integration published in several journals or blogs.

Andreas Grimmel comments on the problems relating to a joint European energy strategy.
Entry in the online blog of the “LSE” from 31 July 2013.

Was den Motor antreibt: Der EuGH als Wegbereiter der europäischen Integration
Andreas Grimmel explains why the reputation of the ECJ to expand its competencies in to the area of ​​fundamental rights is wrong.
Entry in the online blog “Verfassungsblog” from 22 April 2013.

Cameron spricht aus, was schon lange stimmt: Die EU ist bestreitbar
Wolf Schäfer comments the eurosceptic speech given by the British Prime Minister Cameron, in which he pointed to the option of an exit of the UK from the EU.
Entry in the online blog “Wirtschaftliche Freiheit” from 7 February 2013.

Deutschland ist das China der Euro-Zone
Wolf Schäfer explains why the fixation of nominal exchanges rates in EMU has led to a systematic undervaluation of German (export) products. This systematic undervaluation of the “German euro” is comparable in size and effect to the politically motivated undervalution of the Chinese Renminbi, according to Mr. Schäfer.
Entry in the online blog “Wirtschaftliche Freiheit” from 30 November 2012.

EU Budget: Im Schatten der Eurokrise
(EU budget in the shadow of the euro crisis) Konrad Lammers comments on questions regarding the EU budget  in Wirtschaftsdienst 10/2012.
Link to Commentary “EU Budget: Im Schattten der Euro-Krise” in Wirtschaftdienst

20 Jahre Binnenmarkt: Wir feiern nicht mit Champagner, sondern mit Mineralwasser
In the context of the celebration of “20 years of European single market” Wolf Schäfer comments on achievements of the EU’s internal market and further need for action.
Entry in the online blog “Wirtschaftliche Freiheit” from 25 September 2012.

Anmerkung zum VALE-Urteil des EUGH
(Commentary regarding the VALE-Judgement of the ECJ)
Peter Behrens, director at the Institute for European Integration, comments on the Judgement of the ECJ of 12.7.2012 – C-378/10 (VALE Epitesi kft), EuZW 16/2012, p. 625.
Commentary (pdf-file, German)

Die Euro-Zone wird sich gesundschrumpfen müssen
(The eurozone will need a downsizing). Entry in the online blog  “Wirtschaftliche Freiheit” by  Wolf Schäfer from 4 June 2012.

SWR1 Radioreport Recht “Teure Freiheit” vom 1.5.2012
Marten Breuer comments on the question who has to pay. Link to MP3 (German)

Wegsperren – und zahlen? Entschädigung für Ex-Sicherungsverwahrte
Marten Breuer
comments on a recent judgement of the LG Karlsruhe. Link to Legal Tribune Online (German)

Kommt der grenzüberschreitende Formwechsel von Gesellschaften?
Peter Behrens
, director at the Institute for European Integration, wrote an editorial on that topic in EuZW 4/2012, page 121.
Commentary (pdf-file)

Euro crisis: a bombshell for European Integration?
Klaus-Dieter Borchardt
 delivered a speech on 21 Oktober 2011 at the opening of the academic year 2011/12 at the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg.
Speech (pdf-file)

EU-Stabilitätspakt: Wirtschaftspolitische Steuerung
Konrad Lammers, research director at the Institute for European Integration, discusses the legislative proposals of the European Commission for an enhanced economic governance within the Euro zone. He argues that the Commission is on the right way because the proposals are based on rules and sanctions and because they establish considerable barriers for the member states to elude an economic and fiscal policy which is not in line with the requirement of the European Monetary Union. However, these rules present only one component for an effective economic governance within the Euro zone. The comment is published in Wirtschaftsdienst 10/2010 in German.
Commentary (pdf-file)
Link to Wirtschaftsdienst

Politische Kartelle
Wolf Schäfer writes about political cartels and the European rescue funds in the euro crisis. Blog entry in the blog “Wirtschaftliche Freiheit” from 3 August 2010.

Wachstumsstrategie 2020 – Europäische Wirtschaftsregierung?
Konrad Lammers, research director of the Institute for European Integration, asks in how far the planed EU 2020 strategy has implications for an European economic government. This article was published in Wirtschaftsdienst 4/2010 .
comment (pdf-file, only available in German)
Link to Wirtschaftsdienst

Was tun gegen das politische Kartell?
Wolf Schäfer comments on the “rescue policy” during the euro crisis in this article in the FAZ from 25 October 2010.

Deutschland und der Europäische Binnenmarkt
Konrad Lammers,  research director of the Institute for European Integration, discusses the ambivalent German attitude towards the internal market in Wirtschaftsdienst, Sonderheft 2010.
comment (pdf-file)
Link to Wirtschaftsdienst

Ist ein Ausschluss aus der Euro-Zone ausgeschlossen?
Peter Behrens
, director of the Institute for European Integration, considers the possibilities to exclude from the Euro-Zone a Member State whose economic and financial policies are notoriously inconsistent with the requirements of the Treaty.
This article was published as an editorial in EuZW 4/2010, p. 121.
comment (pdf-file)

Saldenmechanik, Wirtschaftslenkung, Zentralisierung
Wolf Schäfer criticises the “growing dominance of traditional French economic policy in the EU”. Blog entry from 4 April 2010, available online via this link.

Stoppt das Bundesverfassungsgericht
Peter Behrens
, director of the Institute for European Integration, assesses the potential impact of the Lisbon-Judgement of the Federal Constitutional Court on the “fundamental freedoms” of EU citizens. This letter to the editor was published slightly abridged in the FAZ, 14.9.2009, p. 20.
comment (pdf-file)

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht und die Zukunft der EU
Jörg Philipp Terhechte
assesses the impact of the Federal Constitutional Court’s judgement regarding the treaty of Lisbon. The article was published in the periodical “Wirtschaftsdienst” iussue 7, 2009.
comment (pdf-file)
link to “Wirtschaftsdienst”
link to the Federal Constitutional Court’s judgement

Europa hat gewählt
(Europe has voted)
Konrad Lammers, research director of the Institute for European Integration, analyses the result of the elections to the European Parliament. His comment was published in the periodical “Wirtschaftsdienst”, issue 6, 2009.
comment (pdf-file)
link to “Wirtschaftsdienst”

Cartesio bestätigt, aber korrigiert Daily Mail
Peter Behrens, director of the  Institute for European Integration, comments on the preliminary ruling of the ECJ on 16.12.2008 regarding Cartesio (Rs. C-210/06). This article was pubished in EuZW 3/2009, p. V.
comment (pdf-file)

Der Wettbewerb im Vertrag von Lissabon
Peter Behrens, director of the Institute for European Integration, writes on of “competition” in the Treaty of Lisbon, published in EuZW 7/2008, p. 193.
comment (pdf-file)