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Publishers Abstract:
When the British Prime Minister delivered his much-hyped speech on the future of Europe, in January 2013, one of the main principles he deemed necessary to make the EU fit for the 21st century was "flexibility" -- by which he meant structures that could accommodate the diversity of the Member States. Just as predictable as the British calls for more variable geometry, were the reactions of various continental counterparts: thus, the French Foreign Minister was almost immediately at pains to rule out any prospect of a "Europe a la carte"; the same point was reiterated by the French President in a speech to the European Parliament soon after. As well as variable geometry spreading its wings within the Treaties, recent developments have again highlighted the willingness of the Member States to enact rules which will not apply to everyone, but to do so this time altogether outside the Union framework.
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