External relations of the European Union. Legal and constitutional foundations

Abstract:

This book arises from a research project which aimed to collect, organise and present the many different aspects and developments of external relations law. It explores the legal and constitutional foundations of the EU's foreign policy.

The book is organised in three parts. Part one, which contains five chapters, concentrates on the foundations, in both EC and EU treaties, for external relations and external policies and the provisions which grant power to conclude international agreements, which are the core of external action. Part two looks at the relationship between EU law and international law and treaties, with four chapters addressing such issues as the life-cycle of international agreements, mixed agreements and membership of international organisations, the role of the European Courts in interpretation of such agreements, and the effects of international agreements and international law on the EU legal order. The third part aims to flesh out some constitutional and institutional developments, and to improve the understanding of those developments. The four chapters in this section deal with the common commercial policy, the common foreign and security policy, trade and foreign policy, including the role of economic sanctions and export controls, and the EU's human rights policy.

The work will interest the advanced student, the practitioner, the academic, government and Community officials engaged in the field of EU external relations.

Piet Eeckhout is Professor of European Law and Director of the Centre of European Law, King's College, London, and visiting Professor at the College of Europe, Bruges.