Crises are not a new phenomenon in the context of European integration. Additional integration steps could often only be achieved under the pressure of crises. At present, however, the EU is characterised by multiple crises, so that the integration process as a whole is sometimes being questioned. In 2015, the crisis in the eurozone had escalated to such an extent that for the first time a member state was threatened to leave the eurozone. Furthermore, the massive influx of refugees into the EU has revealed the shortcomings of the Schengen area and the common asylum policy. Finally, with the majority vote of the British in the referendum of 23 June 2016 in favour of the Brexit, the withdrawal of a member state became a reality for the first time. Even in the words of the European Commission, the EU has reached a crossroads. Against this background, the twelfth Network Europe conference included talks on the numerous challenges and future integration scenarios in Europe.

"While the major trends in European integration have been well researched and constitute key elements of narratives about its value and purpose, the crises of integration and their effects have not yet attracted sufficient attention. This volume, with original contributions by leading German scholars, suggests that crises of integration should be seen as engines of progress throughout the history of European integration rather than as expressions of failure and regression, a widely held assumption. It therefore throws new light on the current crises in European integration and provides a fascinating panorama of how challenges and responses were guiding the process during its first five decades."--Publisher's website.

In light of Europe’s prolonged state of crisis, this book reassesses the challenges and prospects of the European integration process. Scholars from diverse disciplines reflect on various types of integration by analyzing political, economic and sociological variables, while also taking legal and cultural constraints into account. Readers will learn about the dilemmas and challenges of the European transformation process as well as political reforms to overcome these challenges. The book is divided into four parts, the first of which discusses the external dimension of the European Union, including a review of development aid policies and EU foreign policy. In turn, the second part focuses on institutional change and asymmetrical integration in the EU. The third part is devoted to the rise of populism and nationalism, including an analysis of the role of civil society organizations in the Brexit. In closing, the last part highlights the crisis of the Euro as a symbol of European integration and the emerging social and economic divide between countries of the North and South.

Stemming from an international and multidisciplinary network of leading specialists, this best-selling text is fully updated with new chapter additions. With the first edition prepared at the end of the last century and the second edition adding inter-regional relations, this new edition focuses on competing models of regional cooperation within a multipolar world and the role of European Union. This new edition offers: - A comparative analysis of regional cooperation and of both US-centred and EU-centred interregionalism. - A fresh exploration of key issues of regionalism versus globalization and the potential for world economic and political governance through regional cooperation, notably in hard times. - A vigorous response to conventional wisdom on the controversial EU international identity - An appendix on regional and interregional organizations. - A key resource for postgraduate or undergraduate study and research of international relations, European integration studies, comparative politics and international political economy. Taking into account both the expanded European Union and regional cooperation in every continent, this multidisciplinary volume comprises contributions from established scholars in the field: A. Gamble, P. Padoan, G. Joffé, G. Therborn, Th. Meyer, R. Higgott, B. Hettne / F. Ponjaert, F. Soederbaum, Ch. Deblock, K. Eliassen / A. Arnottir, S. Keukeleire / I. Petrova, S. Santander and M. Telò (editor).

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, this volume addresses the lessons of EU history, its current challenges and its future perspectives. Leading scholars from the disciplines of history, political science, political economy and law consider important aspects of European integration. Areas examined include the evolution of the law of integration, Europe's influence on political transitions, economic governance, social governance, the system of Treaty reform and its limits, the future role of the Court of Justice, enlargement and the vexed question of Turkish accession. This book, which takes an interdisciplinary approach, seeks to draw on the lessons of history, while shedding new light on the current and future challenges facing the European Union.

The European Union's foreign policy and its international role are increasingly being contested both globally and at home. At the global level, a growing number of states are now challenging the Western-led liberal order defended by the EU. Large as well as smaller states are vying for more leeway to act out their own communitarian principles on and approaches to sovereignty, security and economic development. At the European level, a similar battle has begun over principles, values and institutions. The most vocal critics have been anti-globalization movements, developmental NGOs, and populist political parties at both extremes of the left-right political spectrum. This book, based on ten case studies, explores some of the most important current challenges to EU foreign policy norms, whether at the global, glocal or intra-EU level. The case studies cover contestation of the EU's fundamental norms, organizing principles and standardized procedures in relation to the abolition of the death penalty, climate, Responsibility to Protect, peacebuilding, natural resource governance, the International Criminal Court, lethal autonomous weapons systems, trade, the security-development nexus and the use of consensus on foreign policy matters in the European Parliament. The book also theorizes the current norm contestation in terms of the extent to, and conditions under which, the EU foreign policy is being put to the test.

Featuring contributions from renowned scholars, A Companion to European Union Law and International Law presents a comprehensive and authoritative collection of essays that addresses all of the most important topics on European Union and international law. Integrates the fields of European Union law and international law, revealing both the similarities and differences Features contributions from renowned scholars in the fields of EU law and international law Covers a broad range of topical issues, including trade, institutional decision-making, the European Court of Justice, democracy, human rights, criminal law, the EMU, and many others

Subject: "This sixth edition of 'European Union Politics' builds on the success of the previous five editions by retaining and updating the chapters published in the previous version of the book. Innovations in this edition include a new chapter on Brexit and a section on the migration crisis in Chapter 22." -- Preface

This is the must-have introduction to the European Union. Offering a primer on the EU's history, institutions, and politics, this concise textbook also covers the various challenges and opportunities faced by the EU, from the democratic deficit and the potential of future enlargement to the spread of nationalism and crises such as Brexit and the impact of the global pandemic. Understanding the European Union is now more crucial than ever, and this text provides a succinct but nuanced account of its development and how it works. This book will be the ideal guide for all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in political science, global affairs and European studies. It is also a suitable starting point for anyone seeking to learn more about the EU. New to this Edition: - A number of key themes and issues run throughout the book, including past and ongoing crises facing the EU, the EU's place within the broader international system, a focus on the EU's comparative political, social, and economic context, the confederal qualities of the EU, and Brexit. - Addresses the early impact of the global pandemic on the EU. - Greater use of maps, figures, tables and boxes where useful to inform the analysis, accompanied by up-to-date further reading. - Informed throughout by sophisticated yet accessible treatment of theory, including post-functionalism and critical perspectives. - Cutting-edge coverage of Brexit and negotiations around withdrawal.

This book presents a new approach to studying the European Union’s regional and global relevance. It recasts into a dynamic perspective the three most significant systemic processes that define the EU as a regionalist project: its enlargement, neighborhood, and mega-regional policies. The book argues that these processes collectively demonstrate a dynamic shift of the core tenets of European regionalism from an inward-looking process of region building to an open, selective system of global interactions.