The European Legal Order: Beyond Inter-State Retaliation

William Phelan The power and position of the European Court of Justice today is often attributed to its landmark rulings establishing the primacy and direct effect of EU law, writes William Phelan. He argues, however, that its ban on inter-state retaliation between Member States was equally important, empowering national courts to enforce EU law and …

Changes to the UK’s EU Membership Might Require the Consent of the Scottish Parliament

Cormac Mac Amhlaigh In-Depth Analysis In this extended article, Cormac Mac Amhlaigh considers the implications of the UK’s EU renegotiation and referendum for Scotland’s devolution settlement. He suggests that, since changes to EU membership could significantly impact the powers of the devolved institutions, a case could be made that consent for the renegotiation and the referendum …

The Legal Implications of EU Withdrawal for the UK and Scotland

Tobias Lock In-Depth Analysis In this extended article, Tobias Lock examines the process for a Member State to leave the EU and the effects of withdrawal, in the context of the upcoming EU referendum. He suggests that, should the UK leave the EU, some form of EU-UK agreement will likely be reached, although the shape of …

The Use of #Migrant and #Refugee on Twitter

Clare Llewellyn and Laura Cram In discussions on the mass movement of people from the Mediterranean Basin to Europe, the choice of words can play an important role. Clare Llewellyn and Laura Cram explore how users on Twitter make use of the terms ‘migrant’ and ‘refugee’ in the debate. P-GRC0233, IFRCRCS, CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0 The movement of …

Scotland and Brexit – What Will the Euroref Campaign Look Like?

Peter Lynch Although UK-wide referendums are not frequent, Scotland has more extensive experience with them, most recently in the independence debate, writes Peter Lynch. He argues that, while some of the same issues will feature in the EU referendum, the campaign is likely to be very different, with less grassroots engagement, greater emphasis on elites …

A Future Uncertain: Why Brexit Would Leave Scotland More Dependent on Westminster

Andrew Glencross If the UK votes to the leave the EU, it will most likely establish a Swiss-style trade relationship to replace EU membership, writes Andrew Glencross. He suggests that future UK governments would be unable to change this relationship unilaterally without risking retaliation, leaving Scotland more dependent on the UK government for good relations …

VAT and Small Business: To the Heart of European Tax Policy?

Luca Cerioni In-Depth Analysis In this extended article, Luca Cerioni situates the debate on VAT in digital services and small business in the wider context of developments in EU tax policy. He argues that the EU’s approach of harmonising rules in some areas of tax and allowing competition in others weakens the single market and …