The economics of European integration. Theory, practice, policy, 4th ed.

Book abstract:

The fourth revised edition of this textbook covers new developments in terms of the deepening of the EU for many policy fields, in particular the Economic and Monetary Union. Split into four parts, part one lays the foundations for the analysis that follows. It gives the fundamental concepts that are used in the book. Next it gives a theoretical treatment of the dynamics of the integration process. It then presents an historical overview of the process of integration. Part two is devoted entirely to market integration with an entire chapter on goods and services. Part three covers business; the way that enterprise responds to the opportunities created by integration is analysed for five sectors of economic activity; agriculture, manufacturing, energy, services and transport. Part four deals with the different socio-economic policies that create the conditions for a balanced growth of the EU economy. Part five contains an evaluation of the results presented in Parts two, three and four, together with a short presentation on the prospects for the future development of the European integration process.

New features in this edition include; a comprehensive analysis of the various strands of integration theory; a standard framework across chapters, allowing ease of reference across economic segments and policies; new sections including European Monetary Union, Central and Eastern European countries, the Internet and telecommunications services; and references to an array of bibliographic detail and website details for further study.

The book primarily addresses two groups of readers. First it addresses students, in particular students following courses on European integration. The book contains a general introduction to the dynamics of economic integration, covering in a systematic and coherent way the areas that are most relevant, ranging from agriculture to trade, monetary matters and cohesion. However it is also of interest to students of economics and business. Second, it is written for all those who are professionally interested in the economic aspects of European integration in the widest sense.