Introduction to the Research Handbook on Post-Pandemic EU Economic Governance and NGEU Law

The introduction chapter of this Research Handbook provides an overview of the scope and contents of the post-pandemic EU economic governance architecture and NextGenerationEU (NGEU) Law. It sets the scene considering the profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the EU’s economic governance structure and EU law. The introduction details each and every chapter, following their logical grouping in seven different parts. The latter covers not only the governance structures, objectives, values, and funding mechanisms of NGEU, but also identifies the transformative initiative undertaken by the EU in response to the crisis, with a particular focus on the establishment of the NGEU Recovery Fund. Moreover, the introduction elaborates on how contributors addressed the key challenges facing the EU in its digital and green transitions, competitiveness, and geopolitics, particularly in light of recent events such as Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. This introductory chapter therefore brings together the significant insights from the Research Handbook’s contributors - who are leading legal scholars, political scientists, and economists from across the EU. The Research Handbook offers a very timely analysis of the implications of NGEU and other EU programmes on Member States’ economic and social recovery.