The European Union faces a crossroads in the twenty-first century. While there is evidence of declining enthusiasm for European integration, the EU plays an increasingly vital role in tackling problems that can no longer be dealt with at member state level. In recent years, the EU has developed a stronger foreign, security and defence policy, and has had to face up to the challenges of tackling organised crime, human trafficking and drug smuggling.
In this fully updated new edition, Alasdair Blair examines the economic, political, social and personal factors that have shaped the process of European integration from the end of the Second World War until the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. Written in a clear and jargon-free style, the book explores:
- The context of European integration and expansion
- The relations between the European Union and its member states
- The institutional evolution of the European Union
- Methods of decision-making
- Key policies of the European Union
- The future direction of the European Union
Comprehensive and accessible, this book is an essential guide to understanding the relevance of the European Union in the twenty-first century.
Publisher’s acknowledgements
Author's acknowledgements
Preface to the Second Edition
Abbreviations
Chronology
Who’s Who
Glossary
Maps
PART ONE: BACKGROUND
1. THE PROBLEM OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
PART TWO: ANALYSIS
2. THE ROAD TO ROME: 1945–57
The Emergence of European Unity
The Hague Congress
The Coal and Steel Community
The Failure of the European Defence Community
3. CONSTRUCTING THE COMMUNITY: 1958–70
Institutional Design
Policies and Competencies
The Nationalist Backlash
The Spirit of the Hague
4. THE ENLARGED COMMUNITY: 1970-84
The First Enlargement
Britain’s Indecision
Eurosclerosis
Transatlantic Difficulties
Britain’s Budgetary Question
5. THE TRANSFORMATION OF EUROPE: 1985-1993
Creating the Internal Market
The Single European Act
The Road to 1992
Europe’s Changing Map
The Maastricht Treaty
6. BUILDING A NEW EUROPE: 1994-201nbsp;
Enlarging the EU
Treaty of Amsterdam
Treaty of Nice
The Fifth Enlargement and Constitutional Reform
Lisbon and Beyond
PART THREE: ASSESSMENT
7. THE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
Boundaries of Europe
Nature of membership
The future of European integration
PART FOUR: DOCUMENTS
Further reading
References
Index
Biography
Alasdair Blair is Professor of International Relations and Head of the Department of Historical and Social Studies at De Montfort University. He is the author of eight books, including International Politics: An Introductory Guide (2009) and Companion to the European Union (2006).
“The European Union Since 1945 should be read by undergraduates in introductory EU courses, policy practitioners who are interested in how the European project developed over time, and by the intelligent general reader. This is an excellent example of how an accessible textbook with crucial supporting documents should be written, documented and presented.”
Neil Winn, European Foreign Affairs Review
“...The most concise and accurate description of the development of European institutions and their policies.”
Michael J. Steffens, Political Studies Review
“The author is balanced in his presentation of the controversies surrounding the organisation and its future.”
Dr James Munson, Contemporary Review
