The Pros and Cons of Centralizing Asylum Law in the EU

This chapter deals with the principle of subsidiarity in asylum law. More specifically, by applying an economic approach, this chapter examines the need to incorporate asylum standards to attain the goal of Article 5 of the Treaty on the European Union. In other words, this research utilizes an economic methodology to investigate the application of the subsidiarity principle to asylum law by considering economic criteria for both centralization and decentralization. This chapter does not execute a comprehensive normative analysis but aims to uncover the advantages of regulating asylum policy at the EU level. In addition, the contribution presents two different types of harmonization. In conclusion, the chapter discusses the advantages of a centralized EU policy that allows for competition between Member States.