Introduction: Balancing Unity and Diversity in EU Legislation

This introductory chapter first addresses why EU legislation deserves more systematic - cross-sectoral and comparative - scholarly attention. This need arises from the fundamental transformation that the EU legislature has undergone in recent years. EU legislation has acquired a central position in the broader framework of EU law; it has become more political and at the same time increasingly subject to policies to promote the rationalizing and professionalizing of EU legislation, such as better lawmaking. This transformation impacts the tension between EU unity and national autonomy, which is a key feature of all EU legislation. Departing from the perspective of the EU legislative framework, key concepts are identified and elaborated upon: national discretion and harmonization; minimum, maximum, partial and total harmonization; open norms; and proceduralization.