Focusing upon the 15 years during which Spain and Portugal have been members of the European Union, this collection of essays addresses issues related to the anniversary which took place in 2001.

This publication provides an up-to-date assessment of the political and economic issues and is valuable reading for anyone wishing to understand contemporary Spain and Portugal. Following decades of relative isolation under authoritarian regimes, the success of the processes of democratic transition in both countries paved the way for full membership in the European Community in 1986. Drawing on research by established scholars, Spain and Portugal in the European Union offers an original series of analyses of the development of Iberian politics, sociology and economics since the accession to the European Union.

This book examines the involvement of Portugal in the European integration process since the country signed the Accession Treaty in 1985. The volume elicits how Portugal has grasped opportunities and challenges emanating from its participation in the institutional, regulatory and political frameworks of the European Union (EU), as these have become more intricate as well as intrusive. It scrutinizes the adjustments and transformations that have taken place in Portuguese society, politics and economics as well as in the country’s international relations, as engendered by its increasing enmeshment in the Community-building dynamics. It is divided into three main parts: • Part I focuses on the major changes within the domestic arena, notably on the political, economic and social fronts; • Part II addresses the adjustments that the Portuguese leadership had to make in order to secure the country's participation in key common policies and strategies; • Part III is centred on foreign policy and assesses and discusses the impact upon Portugal’s international relations. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of European politics, EU studies, comparative politics and those with a strong interest in Portugal.

This book addresses and explains the divergent economic and political outcomes of the financial crisis in the eight European Union member states which needed a bailout program: Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Spain. Looking at crisis management as a series of relationships where cooperation is essential, this book focuses on the essential role of trust during the process. It argues that the presence or absence of trust during the negotiation and implementation of the bailout program leads to self-reinforcing cycles of success and failure. The analysis of these eight countries also explores the institutional sources of trust – it shows that a commitment to limited government is associated with both economic success and resistance to populism. The final chapter considers the implications for the future of the EU and calls attention to the importance of strengthening domestic institutions in order to bridge the gap between concerns over moral hazard and expectations of solidarity.

First published in 1981 The European Community and its Mediterranean Enlargement examines the background to the economic developments in Greece, Spain and Portugal, their relationship with the Community and the political and economic interests at issue during negotiations. At the same time the study of enlargement provides an excellent opportunity for a critical appraisal of existing Community policies (especially those affecting industry and agriculture) and a discussion of likely future developments and pressures for change within the context of the ‘Community of Twelve’. Loukas Tsoukalis combines a thorough familiarity with Community affairs with a good knowledge of Southern Europe and the ability to work in several European languages. This book crosses many disciplinary boundaries and is a must read for scholars and researchers of European politics, European Union, international relations and European history.

This second and fully revised edition brings together some of the most influential work on the theory and practice of contemporary EU environmental policy. Comprising five comprehensive parts, it includes in-depth case studies of contemporary policy issues such as climate change, genetically modified organisms and trans-Atlantic relations, as well as an assessment of how well the EU is responding to new challenges such as enlargement, environmental policy integration and sustainability. The book's aim is to look forward and ask whether the EU is prepared or even able to respond to the 'new' governance challenges posed by the perceived need to use 'new' policy instruments and processes to 'mainstream' environmental thinking in all EU policy sectors.

This report summarizes key recent key finds by the OECD relative to the French economy.

The transformation from a closed and inward-looking economy to an active integration into the European Union is one which a number of countries are facing. This book examines the experience of southern European countries where such transformation has occurred within a short space of time and has been accompanied by important socio-political developments including the consolidation of democracy. The various contributors focus on the motivation for economic change, the problems encountered and the lessons to be learnt.

Successive Enlargements to the European Union membership have transformed it into an economically, politically and culturally heterogeneous body with distinct vulnerabilities in its multi-level governance. This book analyses core-periphery relations to highlight the growing cleavage, and potential conflict, between the core and peripheral member-states of the Union in the face of the devastating consequences of Eurozone crisis. Taking a comparative and theoretical approach and using a variety of case studies, it examines how the crisis has both exacerbated tensions in centre-periphery relations within and outside the Eurozone, and how the European Union’s economic and political status is declining globally. This text will be of key interest to students and scholars of European Union studies, European integration, political economy, public policy, and comparative politics.