This updated guide examines the different relationships between the various tiers of government in the UK and the EU, and how the EU's powers affect the UK, from a range of perspectives. It evaluates the role of the media, political parties, pressure groups, social media and the ever-changing position of public opinion, and places the relationship in its historical context to show how it has evolved over time. Each chapter includes an introduction, learning goals, a glossary, likely exam questions, helpful websites and suggestions for further reading. This new edition has two new chapters, 'Europeanisation' and 'The British Media and the EU', includes the fallout from the 2015 UK Parliament general election and the 2014 European Parliament election and draws on freshly updated examples, tables and figures updated throughout.

This engaging and concise text offers the student and the general reader a compact, readable treatment of British membership of the European Union from 1973 to the present day. It provides a highly distilled and accessible analysis and overview of some of the parameters and recurring features of Britain’s membership of the European Union, touching on all of the major facets of membership. Key features: examines the constant and changing character of British membership of the European Union (EU) discusses the problematical and often paradoxical features of membership familiarizes the reader with both academic and public debates about the subject offers thematic treatment of all aspects of policy and attitudes towards the EU provides an overview of the main landmarks in the history of the EU since 1973 presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date text on the course and result of the EU referendum campaign. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and the generally interested reader in the areas of European Studies, British Politics, EU Studies, Area Studies and International Relations.

How Europe Shapes British Public Policy examines how the European Union became a sectarian issue for citizens of the UK. It analyzes the effects of EU membership in the shaping of key areas, including trade and privatization, the single market, the environment, and the development and implementation of a devolved and decentralized governance. Discussing the ways UK citizens have grown politically disengaged as a result of EU political practices and policy making, it goes on to examine the implications this has had for the depoliticization of government and civil services.

Drawing on a range of disciplinary, conceptual and theoretical approaches, this book analyses the complex interconnections between social policy formation and implementation in the European Union before and during the UK’s membership. It explores the issues, debates and policy challenges facing the EU at different stages in its development, and shows how the UK promoted and hampered social integration. With the UK’s decision to leave the EU as one of the greatest challenges in the EU’s history, this book seeks to understand the role played by social policy in the referendum campaign and withdrawal negotiations, and considers what Brexit means for social policy development both in the UK and across the EU.

Since the mid-2000s, the European Union has made unprecedented strides toward the creation of a common energy policy. This book takes stock of these developments, evaluating how much progress has actually been made and what remains to be done, what factors explain these recent advances and their limitations.

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: The Awkward Partner (AP) Thesis is a widespread theoretical framework which explains why Britain has been called a semi-detached member of the European Union. This paper aims to take on the AP thesis by calling into question its basic tenets. To do this, the thesis claims and initially detectable flaws have to be set out explicitly. But the main challenge shall be launched by examining the Single European Act (SEA) in detail. Resulting contradictions and the implications of the findings require further answers: Should the AP thesis be abandoned? If not, how can it be revised? The argument advanced here is that the AP thesis presupposes a negative behaviour by UK governments vis-à-vis their European counterparts. This is explained by endogenous constraints that are imposed upon the core executive. These constraints are mainly caused by the divergence of domestic political forces. Slow and different rates of adaptation to the EU decision-making level are to be emphasised. While central government has already adjusted to the EU level, it attempts to retain its gatekeeper role between domestic and European political spheres. In contrast to the AP thesis, this paper shall show that in the run-up to the SEA Britain was not more negative than other member states. The UK representatives made proposals and concessions, as did everyone else. Despite the contradiction between theory and empirical study, it shall here not be concluded to abolish the AP thesis, but to amend it instead. First, the role of central government should be looked at in greater detail. Secondly, a link to Liberal Intergovernmentalism is proposed as a way forward. Some inconsistencies of the current framework could thereby be resolved. However, this would also mean to drop all negative connotations, if not the name, of the thesis. Zusammenfassung: Die These vom Unangenehmen Partner ist ein weit verbreitetes theoretisches Modell, das erklärt, warum Großbritannien oft als halbherziges Mitglied der Europäischen Union (EU) bezeichnet wird. Die folgende Studie will diese These dadurch angreifen, indem ihre grundlegenden Annahmen in Zweifel gezogen werden. Dazu müssen zuerst einmal die Kernaussagen sowie einige Unstimmigkeiten der These klar benannt werden. Die größte Herausforderung besteht allerdings darin, die Einheitliche Europäische Akte (EEA) genau zu untersuchen. Die gefundenen Widersprüche sowie deren Auswirkungen erfordern weitere Antworten: Sollte [...]

European environmental policy has become an important area of EU policy-making and the source of political conflict between Britain and Germany. This work explains why national conflicts have arisen and how they are resolved at EU level. -- [p. 4 de la p. de couverture].

This study patterns national identity over a number of important historical milestones and brings the debates over Europe up-to-date with an analysis of recent happenings including the referendum on Scottish independence, the global economic crisis and the current crisis in Syria.

This is an account of the main developments in the process of European integration. It provides coverage of theory, history, member states, institutions and policies, drawing on academic debates including issues of legitimacy and globalisation.

This volume provides an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to British policy in Europe. By exploring the schisms within the party over Europe, through primary source-based history and theoretical discourses of political science, N.J. Crowson gives the reader the best sense of understanding of how and why the Conservative party’s policy attitudes to European integration have evolved. The Conservative Party and European Integration since 1945 adopts a thematic line based around two chronological periods, 1945–75 and 1975–2006, and uses different methodological approaches. It explores the shifting stances amongst Conservatives within an economic, political and international context as the party adjusted to the decline of Britain’s world role and the loss of empire. Crowson analyzes Britain’s role and relationship with Europe together with the study of the Conservative Party, and deals with economic, commercial and monetary issues, successfully bridging a serious gap in any discussion of the UK’s relations with the European Union and appreciation of the political world in which Conservative European policy has been framed and pursued since 1945. This book is recommended for background reading in undergraduate courses in British politics and European history.