From the Sidelines to Center Stage: Sidekick No More? The European Commission in Justice and Home Affairs

The Europeanization of Refugee Policies: Normative Challenges and Institutional Legacies

“…Despite the creation of a new Directorate General on JHA in the Commission (Uçarer, 2001), the Amsterdam reforms still bear the mark of past organizational forms and the legacy of 15 years' intensive transgovernmentalism. 16 The clearest indication of the transgovernmental legacy is the transitional period of five years, during which the Maastricht rules of interaction are basically maintained (unanimous Council voting, shared right of initiative of the Commission, and mere consultation of the EP).…”

Institutional and Policy Change in the European Parliament

“…For instance, despite its original limited powers, the Commission (and especially some individuals in it) played a leading role in the construction of this area. They effectively pointed out the gaps left by intergovernmental methods, such as the difficulty to reach unanimity, or at potential linkages with other fields of European integration in order to gradually increase the powers of the Commission and thereby modify the institutional structure (Kaunert 2010;Uçarer 2001). Their discursive practices on issues such as visa policies, border controls or the freedom of movement of TCNs for the purpose of work contributed to legitimising the principle of an area free of internal borders (Kostadinova 2013).…”

The Mediterranean Dimension of the European Union’s Internal Security

“…To promote legislation on Police and Judicial Cooperation (PJC) between states To continue the cooperation between judicial authorities, Tunisian police and Member states -Signature and implementation of the main international conventions -To promote concrete solutions to prevent, manage and solve conflicts on parental responsibility, including the question of children from mixed marriages -Overview of PJC between Tunisia and the EU -Support for the implementation of UN Conventions -Strengthening of police cooperation by any appropriate means, including with Europol -Cooperation on police training, between Tunisian and European police school, but also with CEPOL Uçarer, E. (2001). 'From the sidelines to center stage: sidekick no more?…”