The 'Europeanisation' of the fight against crime is a broad and much-contested notion. This in-depth analysis of the role of the EU in fighting crime within the area of freedom, security and justice explores the impact of EU policies in the Member States, the progressive convergence of Member States' criminal law systems, the emergence of mutual recognition as an alternative to harmonization, and the incremental development of the ECJ's jurisdiction. The essays also explore the limitations inherent in EU counter-crime policies and the changes brought about by the introduction of the Treaty of Lisbon. These changes are discussed both collectively and within individual substantive areas in which the EU has taken an active role in fighting crime, such as corruption, money laundering, terrorism, organised crime and extradition.

The challenge of thinking about the place of constitutionalism beyond the conventional categories of the nation state has become a principal concern for legal and political scholars. This book casts this issue in a different light by exploring the implications for the constitutionalism of legal integration in the European Union's 'area of freedom, security and justice'. In doing so it makes a novel contribution to an understanding of the European Union as a political community beyond the state, but in addition explores how this entails thinking differently about what is essential concerning constitutionalism. The book argues that instead of seeking to theorise constitutional foundations we actually begin to encounter the constitutional life implied by political and legal practices in the European Union and as exemplified here by 'the area of freedom, security and justice'.

European Union procedures and laws on justice and home affairs touch on some of the most sensitive questions facing the EU today. They deal with issues such as asylum, immigration, drugs, crime and cross-border legal questions. As businesses and individuals increasingly take up their right to live and work anywhere in the EU, European aspects of court proceedings and citizens' rights will become ever more important. It is important for Europe's citizens that the objectives of justice and home affairs policies - freedom, security and justice - are interlinked and balanced, as freedom loses much of its meaning if it cannot be enjoyed in a secure environment and if it is not backed up by a fair and smoothly functioning legal system.

The European Union is constantly changing, both in the number of countries it embraces and in policy areas where it plays a major role. The new millennium has witnessed two major changes in the EU's scope. On 1 May 2004, it enlarged to include ten new member states; and the new European Constitution defines providing citizens with an 'area of freedom, security and justice' as one of its primary aims. This book is unique in analyzing the interplay of the two spheres.

This book brings together contributions from some of the leading authorities in the field of EU immigration and asylum law to reflect upon developments since the Amsterdam Treaty and, particularly, the Tampere European Council in 1999. At Tampere, Heads of State and Government met to set guidelines for the implementation of the powers and competences introduced by the Amsterdam Treaty and make the development of the Union as an area of freedom, security and justice a reality. Since 1999, a substantial body of law and policy has developed, but the process has been lengthy and the results open to critique. This book presents a series of analyses of and reflections on the major legal instruments and policy themes, with the underlying question, to what extent the ideals held out of 'freedom, security and justice accessible to all', are in fact reflected in these legislative and policy developments. Has freedom from terrorism and the spectre of illegal or irregular migration, and increasingly strict border securitisation and surveillance overshadowed the freedom of the migrant to seek entry or residence for legitimate touristic, work, study, or family reasons, a secure refuge from persecution, and effective access to justice? In 2004, the Heads of State and Government presented a programme for the next stage of development in these areas, the Hague Programme, and the Directives and Regulations that have been agreed are now being transposed and applied in Member States legal systems. What are the main challenges in the years ahead as the Hague Programme and the existing legislative acquis are implemented?

This collection brings together leading specialists in the areas of European Union law which are now organized under the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ).

For those who need a rapid yet thorough understanding of the foreign policies of the major powers, these volumes - which cover the USA, Soviet Union and present-day Russia, China, Japan and the EU - form a comprehensive account of the major debates and developments of the world's major powers.