The essential Pelican introduction to the European Union - its history, its politics, and its role today For most of us today, 'Europe' refers to the European Union. At the centre of a seemingly never-ending crisis, the EU remains a black box, closed to public understanding. Is it a state? An empire? Is Europe ruled by Germany or by European bureaucrats? Does a single European economy exist after all these years of economic integration? And should the EU have been awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2012? Critics tell us the EU undermines democracy. Are they right? In this provocative volume, political scientist Chris Bickerton provides an answer to all these key questions and more at a time when understanding what the EU is and what it does is more important than ever before.
A practitioner-focused inside-view of what the European Commission is and does, who works for it and their different roles, and how it goes about its work.
Written by experts, this long-established and definitive guide to the workings of the European Union provides comprehensive, straightforward and readable coverage of this sometimes misunderstood and complex institution. It explains not only what happens but also why, and analyses the EU's strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities for it to be more effective. With the EU's very existence under pressure due to fiscal crises and the eurozone, migration and borders, and Euroscepticism, it specifically outlines: How it works: the institutions, the mechanisms Every area of EU competence from agriculture to workers' rights The effects of the single market and the single currency and the successes and stresses of the eurozone The impact of the enlargement of the EU and the prospects for further enlargement and for closer political integration The EU under strain - the 2008 recession and after 'Britain in or out' Fully updated and revised material with new data, statistics, examples and non-partisan coverage The Routledge Guide to the European Union is well-established as the clearest and most comprehensive guide to how the EU operates. This new edition brings you up to date at a crucial stage in its history at a time when, arguably, it has never been under greater threat, but conversely is perhaps more important than ever.
For many observers, the European Union is mired in a deep crisis. Between sluggish growth; political turmoil following a decade of austerity politics; Brexit; and the rise of Asian influence, the EU is seen as a declining power on the world stage. Columbia Law professor Anu Bradford argues the opposite in her important new book The Brussels Effect: the EU remains an influential superpower that shapes the world in its image. By promulgating regulations that shape the international business environment, elevating standards worldwide, and leading to a notable Europeanization of many important aspects of global commerce, the EU has managed to shape policy in areas such as data privacy, consumer health and safety, environmental protection, antitrust, and online hate speech. And in contrast to how superpowers wield their global influence, the Brussels Effect - a phrase first coined by Bradford in 2012- absolves the EU from playing a direct role in imposing standards, as market forces alone are often sufficient as multinational companies voluntarily extend the EU rule to govern their global operations. The Brussels Effect shows how the EU has acquired such power, why multinational companies use EU standards as global standards, and why the EU's role as the world's regulator is likely to outlive its gradual economic decline, extending the EU's influence long into the future.
EC law is now a pervasive part of the legislation affecting business, government agencies, the voluntary sector and the individual citizen across the whole of the European Union. This uniquely comprehensive and accessible guide provides a simple and practical explanation of the most important aspects of EC environmental law. In straightforward terms it introduces the EC and its institutions and explains where EC environmental law and policy can be found. It discusses the main environmental laws relating to air and noise, chemicals and industrial risks, nature conservation, waste and water, and explains how these laws can be used to ensure environmental protection. The book also explains the EC's law-making procedures and discusses the stages at which lobbying can be used to influence the content of future EC environmental laws. Useful case studies and suggestions for further reading for those wishing to research a particular area are also included. This book will be an invaluable source of reference and practical guidance for lawyers, business, local government, environmental groups and all those needing to understand and use EC law in this area. Dorothy Gillies is a lawyer and lecturer in law at the University of Glasgow. She has worked in the European Parliament and in the European Commission's Directorate-General XI for Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection. Originally published in 1998
The European Union: How Does it Work? is the perfect introduction to the EU's structure and operations for those coming to the subject for the first time. Leading scholars and practitioners cut through the complexity to explain how the EU really works and why it matters. The third edition of this successful textbook has been updated in light of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the effects of the financial crisis on the Eurozone. It includes three new chapters, on the policy-making process, democracy in the EU, and EU internal and external security. Student understanding of the main actors, policies and developments is aided by the inclusion of helpful learning features throughout the text. The European Union: How Does it Work is also supported by an Online Resource Centre with the following features: For students: - Multiple choice questions - Flash card glossary For registered adopters of the textbook - Seminar questions and activities - PowerPoint® presentations
The Oxford Handbook of the European Union brings together numerous acknowledged specialists in their field to provide a comprehensive and clear assessment of the nature, evolution, workings, and impact of European integration.
The establishment of the European Economic Community in 1958 was one of the most remarkable developments in the history of the post-World War II era. It aimed for nothing less than a complete economic union so that goods, people, and capital would be able to pass over national boundaries of member countries as freely as they move within any one country. As the Community's target date of 1992 for economic integration draws closer, the need for information, both current and historical, becomes more urgent. The aim of this annotated bibliography is to create a critical and descriptive list of books published mainly in English for businessmen and analysts, combining older publications with new. The literature on the EC is vast and issues The Community itself nearly 3000 publications a year. The range of material covered in this volume is distinguished by its great scope. Historical sections provide listings on the postwar years of economic recovery, the development of the EC, and biographies of the leading personalities involved. Policy-oriented sections encompass such subjects as labor, transportation, environment, energy, and education. The political ramifications of economic union, financial and fiscal affairs, relations between the EC and the Third World, and foreign relations in general are dealt with in separate sections. The volume concludes with a listing of major European Community publications. The sheer bulk of published material on the EC, much of it duplication, has made keeping up with its developments difficult for small and medium in Europe and elsewhere. This invaluable sourcebook will provide the business community and the political establishments with better access to EC information as they grapple with the implications of 1992.
European integration has been most successful at a legal level and European influences have left an indelible mark on English Public Law. These influences must be understood by students and practitioners if they are to understand our public law and its continuing development. This new book aims to cover the debate surrounding the influence of Community law on the public law of the United Kingdom in a thematic and analytical manner.
In the media law field, we are all confronted more and more frequently with the term horizontal regulation. What exactly is meant though by horizontal regulation? Does it already exist in the audiovisual field, particularly in EC law, and, if so, how does it work? What are its limitations? This edition provides some answers to these questions. In five articles, it describes "horizontal" rules in five different subject areas and compares and analyzes them.--Publisher's description.
