EU Policy-Making in Federal Cyprus: The Challenge Ahead

Abstract

This article examines rhe institutional and communal challenges that Cyprus will be facing when conducting its EU policy. Given the increasing salience of EU policy for Member States and their citizens, there is a powerful incentive for each government to coordinate its national position in order co pursue its interests more effectively in Brussels. However, given the institutional structure of the EU and the nature of EU decisionmaking, the coordination of EU policy will prove an extremely difficult task for all Member States. For aspiring federal states, such as Cyprus, the challenge will be all the greater as a common EU policy will need to be agreed upon by the two communities. This article proposes ways to counter such challenges by drawing upon the licetature of federal States and EU policy coordination.