Revisiting the Role and Future of National Constitutions in European and Global Governance: Introduction to the Research Project

Abstract

The Introduction provides an overview of the research project ‘The Role and Future of National Constitutions in European and Global Governance’, which was funded by a five-year grant of 1.2 million EUR, awarded by the European Research Council (ERC). The research findings are published in the present two-volume book, containing national reports from twenty-eight EU Member States, and a twenty-ninth report – focusing on constitutional reforms related to global governance – from Switzerland. The reports are based on the project Questionnaire. The main themes are threefold: (a) constitutional amendments with a view to EU membership; (b) constitutional adjudication at the national level regarding EU measures such as the Data Retention Directive, European Arrest Warrant and ESM Treaty; and (c) novel challenges that are increasingly highlighted in the wider context of global governance (i.e. beyond the classic international treaties that advance human rights, peace and environmental protection) in relation to democratic participation, judicial review and the rule of law. Whilst in the mainstream discourse national constitutions have typically been approached from a top-down perspective and with a focus on sovereignty, the present bottom-up study allows for the perspective to be broadened by looking at how EU and transnational law have affected constitutional cultures in specific areas, such as fundamental rights protection, rule of law safeguards and constitutional review. The reports are accompanied by a linked book with a Comparative Study, which divides the constitutional systems of the EU Member States into three broader constitutional cultures and identifies overarching trends, changes and processes regarding constitutionalism. The comparative research findings are briefly outlined in the Introduction, inviting discussion on what ought to be the direction of travel for national, comparative European, EU and global constitutionalism. The project and the reports explore constitutional developments up until 2014-15 and do not address the more recent illiberal trends.