With the recent establishment of a Constitutional Convention, the European Union has embarked on an ambitious course toward political union and a larger, more centralized and "federalist" Europe. Some observers have welcomed this development as a necessary move towards further economic liberalization and the democratization of bureaucratic, unaccountable European institutions. Others view the EU’s constitutional project as a menacing step toward greater centralized political control over the European market and toward a neo-mercantilist defense of a "European way of life" against the perceived threats of globalization and U.S. hegemony.

While the European Constitutional Convention is still in its infancy, its momentous potential warrants an early examination. To that end, AEI’s Federalism Project is convening two distinguished panels for a half-day conference on April 16. The first panel will examine the prospects for a European Constitution, its probable contours, and its political and economic ramifications for the EU and its member-states. A second panel will discuss the implications for U.S. - European diplomatic and economic relations.