Developments in the European Union 2

Abstract:

This work, which continues from where its predecessor left off in 1999, deals with a period of substantial development within the EU.

The book is comprised of sixteen chapters being contributions from a new panel of international scholars addressing a new range of issues. Chapter one addresses the all important topic of enlargement which colours almost every area of EU activity. It seeks answers to the questions 'why join?' and 'why do we let you join?', going on to discuss the various steps along the way for accession candidates, and the likely impact of enlargement on the EU. Chapter two considers the constitutional character of the EU with a review of the last fifty years, the move to constitutional status in the early 2000s, the European Convention and Draft Constitutional Treaty and an assessment of the conduct of the Convention. Chapter three explains the Europeanisation of Member States during the past few years with particular focus on the United Kingdom, France and Germany. The flip side of this is Euroscepticism, which is explored in chapter four. The Euro and the European Central Bank are the focus of chapter five. Completing the Single Market is the subject of chapter six which reviews the Lisbon strategy for economic modernisation and the hurdles that policy faces in the light of differences in many aspects of the Member States and Europe's distinctive social market capitalism. Chapter seven examines the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion, which together consume 85 per cent of the EU's disbursements and present great problems in the reform process of the EU. Chapter eight moves to a more successful area, that of Environmental Policy, and examines recent attempts to ensure that environmental issues are at the centre of EU policy making.

Immigration and Asylum are the focus of chapter nine which examines developments in these areas since the Amsterdam Treaty came into effect in May 1999. Perhaps not surprisingly the tragic events of 9/11 and subsequent terrorist activity have thrust Justice and Home Affairs to the top of the EU policy making agenda, and this is explored in chapter ten which considers the increased Europeanisation of law enforcement agencies and rise in cross-border co-operation. Chapter eleven looks at the EU and world trade, exploring the role of the EU as an international organisation and also as an international trade actor with particular attention given to the current round of WTO negotiations. Foreign and Security policies of the EU are examined in chapter twelve which looks at the historical background, the reality of EU foreign, security and defence policy and the future prospects post-Iraq, and negotiations for a Constitutional Treaty for the EU. Closer scrutiny of the external relations and policies of the EU with particular reference to the US relationship is addressed in chapter thirteen. The new border neighbours of the expanded EU - the Balkans and the Newly Independent States - are the focus of chapter fourteen, representing as they do serious risks in many areas such as health, organised crime, narcotics and migration. Relations with the developing world are considered in chapter fifteen which examines the Cotonou Partnership Agreement and the major economic and political reforms that Cotonou introduced into EU development policy. The editors close the work with a chapter examining how theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the EU have evolved in recent years.

The work will interest scholars and students, policy makers and researchers engaged in EU studies, Integration studies and International relations.

Maria Green Cowles is Associate Director of the University Honors Program and Scholar in Residence at the American University, Washington DC.

Desmond Dinan is Jean Monnet Professor and Director of the International Commerce and Policy Program in the School of Public Policy, George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia.