Constitutional problems of the European Union

Constitutional problems of the European Union:

The purpose of this book is to contribute towards the understanding of the European Union by scrutinising it from the constitutional and legal angle. The author asks whether the European Court, the supreme authority on Community law, behaves as a court ought to behave. He examines the vague and elastic nature of Community law and questions whether this causes problems for those who have to deal with it. He further considers whether the division of power between the Union and the Member States is based on any sort of principle, and, if so, whether that principle is consistently applied. The book examines the enforcement of Community law and the problems caused by the different levels of compliance in different Member States. Finally, the foundations of the Union's legal system are examined and the question posed whether the Member States have ceded their sovereignty.

This book will be of interest not only to experts in Community law, but to all lawyers or anyone who might want to gain a greater understanding of the Community. To make this possible, an introductory chapter has been added to provide the necessary background. The author, Trevor C. Hartley, is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics and has acted as a consultant for various other bodies, including the EC Commission.