On November 29th 2007, the Dutch United Nations Student Association (SIB Leiden) organized a Conference, titled: The Future of the European Union: How to Proceed in an Ever Closer Union? The conference was meant to offer students, young academics and professionals the opportunity to engage in a debate with prominent scholars and politicians on the Future of Europe.

This book contains an overview of the various issues that were discussed during the conference and attempts to do justice to both the interdisciplinarity of the conference programme and the variety of people who attended. Therefore, readers will find contributions from both Dutch and international scholars; from young academics from SIB Leiden; and from various politicians and other professionals working daily on European Union issues. As this book offers a collection of essays resulting from a Dutch conference on an international topic, contributions are either in English or in Dutch. The editors have aimed at an equal number of English and Dutch texts.

This book does not claim to be exhaustive, nor does it attempt to offer one single vision of the Unions future. Quite the contrary: the conference was meant to explore as many scenarios for the EU as possible, and to put every aspect of the European Union up for discussion. Each of the essays in this book thus explores one such aspect of the EU, and offers the authors view of the road that has been taken, or should be taken. In this way, SIB Leiden sincerely hopes to contribute to a lively and continuing debate.
Contents: Voorwoord; M J M Verhagen, The Future of the European Union; H O Ruding, The European Union 2005-2008: crisis, impasse or renewed progress?; A W Bos, Europese Regelzucht; L Siedentop, Some Constitutional Reflections; E H Faber van der Meulen, EU Energy Policy: The conflict between an internal liberalisation agenda and external security of supply; R D Praaning Prawira Adiningrat, The Future of European Security; A M B Chao, De abnormaal lage inschrijving vanuit de positie van de publiekrechtelijke instelling; P J Slot, De Ontwikkeling van het Mededingingsrecht in de EG en Nederland; S P van der Vaart, Er is weer een verhaal nodig bij Europa in de Nederlandse politiek.