Europäisches Zentrum für Föderalismus-Forschung

Beiträge zum deutschen Föderalismus

Europa als Gegenstand der Föderalismusreform

Matthias Niedobitek

S. 191-204

The first stage of the German federalism reform which entered into force on 1 September 2006 was not restricted to the modernization of purely internal aspects of the German federal state but it also took account of the European dimension of that undertaking which was considered as having a transverse character. While far-reaching proposals were made during the discussions, the outcome is limited though not unimportant. The Länder's right to represent the Federal Republic of Germany as a Member State of the EU (Article 23 para. 6 Basic Law) has been strengthened (as regards the procedure) and at the same time restricted (as regards the scope). Furthermore, two provisions were inserted into the Basic Law which regulate the division of financial sanctions imposed by EC law on Germany between the Federation and the Länder, one concerning infringements of EC Law generally (Article 104 a para. 6) and one concerning infringements of the so-called European Stability Pact (Art. 109 para. 5). Finally, framework legislation (former Article 75 Basic Law) which purportedly has proven to be an inefficient means for transposing EC law into domestic law was abolished completely. Altogether, the recent reform process has demonstrated that European politics still (also) belongs to the realm of foreign policy and cannot as such be regarded as some sort of European internal policy.

Zitiervorschlag für diesen Artikel:
Niedobitek, Matthias 2008: Europa als Gegenstand der Föderalismusreform, in: Europäisches Zentrum für Föderalismus-Forschung (Hrsg.): Jahrbuch des Föderalismus 2007. Föderalismus, Subsidiarität und Regionen in Europa, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, S. 191-204.