Romanian Journal of European Affairs (Apr 2002)
SUVERANITATEA ŞI APROFUNDAREA INTEGRĂRII ÎN UNIUNEA EUROPEANĂ
Abstract
Romania’s future EU membership requires a thorough reconsideration of the balance of power between the national state and the EU. The author argues that it is difficult, at present, to estimate what this balance will be like by the time Romania joins the EU. Therefore, the article looks at the current state of facts in the EU. Similarly to other international organisations, in the EU there is a transfer of suzerainty from the Member States to the common institutions. The difference consists however, in a higher degree of suzerainty loss, due to the fact that the EU has created supranational bodies, which can make binding decisions on behalf of the Member States. In the case of other international organisations, decisions are made only through the consensus of all participating states. This transfer of suzerainty has increased over time, as the Union evolved from a purely economic organisation to a political - and eventually a military - one. For Romania, one of the first consequences will be the modification of the Constitution and of other legislation.