What Does It Mean To Be “Culturally” European? By Ilinca Nuta and Sofia Viganò Part I: Institutional Framework The European Union did not begin solely as an economic project: from its origin, it encompassed a strong social dimension. The Preamble of the Treaty of Rome sets out ambitions that go beyond mere market integration ( 1 ). The founding Member States declared: “Determined to lay the foundations of an ever-closer union among the peoples of Europe, resolved to ensure t

Europe’s paradox: rich in savings, short on investment Europe’s economic debate has entered a decisive phase. Almost ten years after the launch of the Capital Markets Union (CMU) and a year after Mario Draghi’s competitiveness report, the same structural paradox remains: Europe is a high-saving continent that invests too little in itself. Households across the EU hold more financial wealth than those in any other advanced economy, yet a disproportionate share remains in cash

This year marks forty-five years since the Roquette Frères v Council judgment: a foundational decision that helped define the European Parliament’s role in the Community’s legislative process. In 1980, the Court of Justice of the European Union established through its ruling that the European Parliament’s consultation was not a mere procedural formality established by the Treaty but an essential step in the legislative process in order to ensure democratic participation in th