The European Union How Does it Work?

by Bomberg, Elizabeth; Peterson, John; Corbett, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780199570805
• ISBN10: 0199570809
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-20
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

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 Workis 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 - PowerPointRG presentations

Author Biography

Elizabeth Bomberg is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations and member of the Europa Institute at the University of Edinburgh John Peterson is Professor of International Politics and member of the Europa Institute at the University of Edinburgh Richard Corbett served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1996 to 2009. He is currently the advisor on institutional issues to the President of the European Council

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements	p. xiii
List of Figures	p. xv
List of Boxes	p. xvi
List of Tables	p. xiii
Abbreviations and Acronyms	p. xix
List of Contributors	p. xxii
Map: The European Union's Member States	p. xxiii
Guided Tour of the Textbook Features	p. xxiv
Guided Tour of the Online Resource Centre	p. xxvi
Background
Introduction	p. 3
Studying the EU	p. 4
Why bother?	p. 6
Understanding the EU: Theory and Conceptual Tools	p. 10
International relations approaches	p. 11
A comparative politics approach	p. 12
A public policy approach	p. 13
A sociological/cultural approach	p. 14
Themes	p. 15
Experimentation and change	p. 15
Power-sharing and consensus	p. 17
Scope and capacity	p. 18
Chapter Layout	p. 19
Discussion Questions	p. 20
Further Reading	p. 20
Web Links	p. 21
How Did We Get Here?	p. 23
Introduction	p. 24
Post-war Settlement	p. 25
Schuman Plan	p. 27
European Defence Community	p. 29
European Community	p. 30
Consolidating the European Community	p. 32
Crisis and compromise	p. 34
The EC after De Gaulle	p. 35
Difficult decade	p. 35
The Emerging European Union	p. 36
Economic and Monetary Union	p. 37
Maastricht and beyond	p. 38
Post-Cold war enlargement and constitution building	p. 39
Conclusion	p. 41
Discussion Questions	p. 42
Further Reading	p. 42
Web Links	p. 43
Major Actors
The EU's Institutions	p. 47
Institutions in Treaties and in Practice	p. 48
The European Commission	p. 48
Tasks and powers	p. 48
How the Commission is organized	p. 49
The Council (of Ministers)	p. 54
Vice President of the Commission/High Representative for Foreign & Security Policy	p. 55
The Council Presidency	p. 56
Voting in the Council	p. 57
Coreper	p. 59
European Council (of Heads of State or Government)	p. 60
The European Parliament	p. 61
The powers of the EP	p. 63
European Court of Justice	p. 64
Why Institutions Matter	p. 67
Experimentation and change	p. 68
Power-sharing and consensus	p. 68
Scope and capacity	p. 69
Conclusion	p. 70
Discussion Questions	p. 72
Further Reading	p. 72
Web Links	p. 72
Member States	p. 74
Introduction	p. 75
Six Determining Features	p. 76
Entry date	p. 76
Size	p. 78
Wealth	p. 81
State structure	p. 83
Economic ideology	p. 83
Integration preference	p. 84
Member States in Action	p. 89
Managing EU Business	p. 90
Explaining Member States' Engagement	p. 91
Conclusion	p. 93
Discussion Questions	p. 94
Further Reading	p. 94
Web Links	p. 95
Policies and Policy-making
Key Policies	p. 99
Introduction	p. 100
Key Features of EU Policies	p. 102
Differences between national and EU policies	p. 102
The primacy of economic integration	p. 107
'Market-building' Policies	p. 107
Competition policy	p. 109
Commercial (trade) policy	p. 109
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)	p. 110
'Market-correcting' and 'Cushioning' Policies	p. 112
Common Agricultural Policy	p. 112
Cohesion policy	p. 113
Environmental and social regulation	p. 115
Comparing EU Policy Types	p. 116
Conclusion	p. 118
Discussion Questions	p. 119
Further Reading	p. 119
Web Links	p. 120
How Policies Are Made	p. 122
Introduction	p. 123
The Basics	p. 123
Parliament	p. 123
Council	p. 125
How the EU Legislates	p. 126
Deciding, not legislating	p. 127
Preparing Commission Proposals	p. 130
Interest Representation and Lobbying	p. 132
Types of actor	p. 134
Organized Interests at Work	p. 136
European institutions' responses	p. 136
Conclusion	p. 137
Discussion Questions	p. 139
Further Reading	p. 139
Web Links	p. 140
Democracy in the European Union	p. 141
Democracy Beyond the State?	p. 142
Legislating through Representative Assemblies	p. 143
How representative are the Parliament and the Council?	p. 145
Involving national parliaments	p. 147
Separation of Powers	p. 148
Executive Accountability	p. 150
Respecting Fundamental Rights	p. 154
Political Parties	p. 154
Conclusion	p. 156
Discussion Questions	p. 157
Further Reading	p. 157
Web Links	p. 158
The EU and The Wider World
EU Expansion and Wider Europe	p. 161
Introduction	p. 162
Widening versus deepening	p. 162
Enlargement as soft power	p. 164
An institutional paradox	p. 164
How the EU has Expanded	p. 166
Why countries want to join	p. 168
Recent enlargements	p. 171
Prospective Members	p. 173
Balkan countries	p. 173
Turkey	p. 174
Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland	p. 176
Wider Europe	p. 176
European Neighbourhood Policy	p. 176
What Limits for the EU?	p. 178
What is Europe?	p. 179
Evaluating Enlargement	p. 181
Conclusion	p. 182
Discussion Questions	p. 182
Further Reading	p. 182
Web Links	p. 183
The EU as a Security Actor	p. 185
Introducing European Security Policy	p. 186
How it developed	p. 188
The basics	p. 190
The EU and International Security	p. 191
The Common Security and Defence Policy	p. 193
Internal Security	p. 195
Theorizing the EU as a Security Actor	p. 199
Conclusion	p. 201
Discussion Questions	p. 201
Further Reading	p. 202
Web Links	p. 202
The EU as a Global Actor	p. 203
Introducing European Foreign Policy	p. 204
How it developed	p. 205
The basics	p. 206
A National 'System' of Foreign Policies	p. 210
The Community System	p. 211
Commercial (trade) policy	p. 211
Aid and development	p. 212
Externalizing internal policies	p. 215
The Common Foreign and Security Policy	p. 216
Theorizing the EU as a Global Actor	p. 218
Conclusion	p. 220
Discussion Questions	p. 221
Further Reading	p. 221
Web Links	p. 222
Conclusion	p. 224
Introduction	p. 225
Three Themes	p. 225
Experimentation and change	p. 225
Sharing power and seeking consensus	p. 226
Scope and capacity	p. 228
Explaining the EU	p. 229
International relations approaches	p. 230
A comparative politics approach	p. 230
A public policy approach	p. 231
A sociological/cultural approach	p. 232
Where Do We Go From Here?	p. 233
Debating the future of Europe	p. 233
How will it work?	p. 234
Conclusion	p. 236
Appendix: Chronology of European Integration	p. 238
Glossary	p. 242
References	p. 248
Index	p. 261
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