Book Review of Catherine Barnard and Okeoghene Odudu, the Outer Limits of European Union Law
European Law Review, pp. 794-796, 2009
21 Pages Posted: 3 Jul 2012
Date Written: August 2009
Abstract
The criticism of the perceived 'competence creep' of the European Union is not new. The book, The Outer Limits of European Union Law (comprising an introduction and 15 chapters) sheds some light on the validity of this criticism. It is persuasive in its claim that there are ultimate limits to the European Union’s competence and reveals both the strengths and the weaknesses of these limits. The book addresses the limits of EU law from three angles. First, the book seeks to draw these limits in different policy areas (citizenship, police co-operation, free movement provisions, etc.). Secondly, it addresses broader questions of legitimacy and the nature of the integrated European legal order. Thirdly, it discusses specific mechanisms (Art.308 EC), principles (proportionality, subsidiarity, conferred powers) and techniques used by the European Courts, the institutions, and the Member States to extend or contain EU law.
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