15. Harmonisation

Abstract

This chapter examines the effectiveness of harmonisation in removing barriers to the four freedoms of the internal market in the European Union (EU). It explains the degree of variation amongst negative, positive, total and minimum harmonisation. It considers the relationship between mutual recognition and harmonisation and discusses concerns regarding the freedom of Member States to take individual action in harmonised fields and Member State competence. It evaluates the scope of the EU’s power to enact harmonising measures in the context of the internal market and the extent to which the Union effectively has a general power to regulate. The chapter also discusses the relevant procedures of Articles 114 and 115 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).