Sechs Dekaden Europaischer Integration - Eine Standortbestimmung

Crises do not show respect for anniversaries. In 2013, the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg celebrated its 60th anniversary. In 2013, the EU had to cope with one of its worst crises. The European integration has been confronted with difficulties many times before. Progressive steps towards integration have always been followed by setbacks. However, every crisis also offered new chances and provoked new efforts for further progress of European integration. Current concerns regarding the future of the EU make it worth looking back in order to appreciate how crises have always provoked a new dynamic leading to pragmatic solutions and further steps towards integration. It is this perspective which the contributions to this volume adopt. Focusing on the core areas of economic and political integration, the contributions analyze how the EU developed over time, how its present state was achieved and how recurrent crises have contributed to the overall successful process of integration.