An Introduction to the Debate on Economic Governance an the European Constitution

Abstract

Governance is a versatile term used in connection with several contemporary social sciences. The European Union (EU) established its own concept of governance in the White Paper on European Governance (Commission, 2001). The Final Report of the Working Group VI of the European Convention (2002) focused the debate on the concept of economic governance and analysed some of its implications (at political, economic, regional, social, legislative and international levels). The Constitutional Treaty has no clear definition of the scope and means of actions of the new Economic Governance in the EU, especially when Governance refers to economic and social policies. The dichotomy between Monetary Policy, controlled by the European Central Bank, and socio-economic policies, regulated by Member States, remains one of the peculiarities of the European process of integration