The European court and civil society : litigation, mobilization and governance / Rachel A. Cichowski.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cichowski, Rachel A.

Series:

Themes in European governance

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Court of Justice of the European Communities.

Civil society--European Union countries.

Civil society.

European Union countries.

Physical Description:

xv, 294 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

The European Union today stands on the brink of radical institutional and constitutional change. The most recent enlargement and proposed legal reforms reflect a commitment to democracy: stabilizing political life for citizens governed by new regimes, and constructing a European Union more accountable to civil society. Despite the perceived novelty of these reforms, this book explains (through quantitative data and qualitative case analyses) how the European Court of Justice has developed and sustained a vibrant tradition of democratic constitutionalism since the 1960s. The book documents the dramatic consequences of this institutional change for civil society and public policy reform throughout Europe. Cichowski offers detailed empirical and historical studies of gender equality and environmental protection law across fifteen countries and over thirty years, revealing important linkages between civil society, courts and the construction of governance. The findings bring into question dominant understandings of legal integration.

Contents:

1 Introduction: institutions, organizations and actors 1

2 Overview of institutionalization in the European Union 26

Part I Institutionalization through litigation 71

3 The European Court of Justice and the expansion of gender equality rights 73

4 Environmental protection, non-compliance and judicial politics 119

Part II Institutionalization through mobilization 169

5 Women's rights activists: informal to formal organizing 171

6 Collective activism for the environment 207

7 Conclusion: litigation, mobilization and governance 242.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 264-288) and index.

ISBN:

0521855853

9780521855853

0521671817

9780521671811

OCLC:

71808143