Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction

Understanding the European Union: a concise introduction:

Published as part of The European Union Series, this is an introductory text written for anyone who is confused about how the EU works and about what it means for the 373 million people who live under its jurisdiction. The author is a British citizen living in the United States who claims that his vantage point has allowed him to compare public and media responses to the EU on both sides of the Atlantic and to gain the perspective that distance often allows.

This book is broad-ranging in scope and accessible to all, aiming to demystify the European Union. It provides context by introducing, explaining and accessing the history of the EU, the goals and motives behind European integration, the impact of integration on the Member States, the changes the EU has made to the lives of the Europeans and the long-term implications of the European experiment. It also provides critical analysis of the EU, offering thoughts on where it has done well and not so well, and improvements that need to be made.

The publishers of this book are creating a world wide web page for this book and other introductory texts in The European Union Series which will provide information on key developments - such as changes in the composition of the European Parliament following the 1999 elections and links to other Internet resources. The address will be: http://www.macmillan-press.co.uk/politics/EU