Includes discussion of issues relating to the Treaty of Lisbon
Available from
all book suppliers worldwide - land-based and internet.
In case of difficulty you can order direct from the
distributor - Vine House Distribution Ltd.
UK phone 01825 767396. Credit cards - except American Express
- may be used for payment. (From outside UK phone 44 1825 767
396.)
Description of the book below.
Price, ISBN etc.
The power that guides European states
The EU is said to be the source of 70% of our laws, yet it seems remote
or even invisible to the majority citizens. This book sheds some light
on a subject which is one of the most important and least understood
aspects of British (and European) politics.
|
The European Union
and You
Understand the EU,
The Constitution,
The Treaty of Lisbon and the Arguments
by David Roberts
This book examines
how the European Union works, the nature of its problems, and its
capacity for resolving them. It aims to present a readable account, for
the ordinary citizen, politicians, journalists, professionals and
students, of what is going on, what is going wrong, and what needs to
be done.
- A comprehensive guide to the institutions,
policies, history and terminology of the European Union,
- and an
in-depth examination of the policies, problems, plans and record of the
EU.
- Goes up to
and includes the Reform Treaty/Treaty of Lisbon of
2007.
Includes three key EU texts.
With maps, diagrams and statistics.
IN MORE DETAIL
The European Union and You includes:
A guide to the EU:
- how the EU developed, including the strategy
for centralising power and unifying the states of Europe
- an
introduction to the treaties
- an
account of the EU's institutions, their roles and procedures
- important
EU concepts and the specialised "euroterminology" essential to the
understanding of the EU
- an
account of the Constitution
- an
account of the Reform Treaty.
Consideration of:
-
"ever closer union" - the abiding, long-term
plan for the unification of the states of Europe, the commitment to
"superstatehood"
- the centralisation of power, failure to take
decisions at the lowest possible level
- democratic deficit
- political accountability
- accounting for the spending of EU funds
- the role of the Commission
- secrecy which subverts democratic involvement
- inconsistency in the application of principles
and policies
- policy areas, including EU expansion,
employment, public services/privatisation, housing, foreign policy and
militarisation, agriculture and fisheries
- undue complexity of the EU, the failure to make
the EU understandable and user-friendly
- the influence of lobbyists
- the problems of the Constitution, and the
Reform Treaty/Treaty of Lisbon
EU in its own words (texts of key EU documents):
- the Laeken Declaration
(2001) -
EU leaders' own account of the successes of the European Union and the
pressing problems that the EU needs to tackle
- The
Constitution
(2004) -
the EU account of how, and according to what principles, the EU is
being run and the proposed innovations - agreed by EU leaders in 2004
and again in a revised format in 2007 - The IGC Mandate for the Reform Treaty
(also
known as the Treaty of Lisbon) - The detailed
instructions for repackaging the Constitution's
innovations - agreed by EU leaders in June 2007.
Also
included are expert and popular proposals for running the EU:
- the political ideas of parties in the European
Parliament
- views of
MPs and MEPs on the Constitution and the future of
Europe
- comments
gathered from across Europe from public debates on the EU
- alternative
proposals for the running of Europe
- plus insights from many of the key players.
To top of page
Background - The European Union and You
In
2001 the European Commission reported that, "Many people are losing
confidence in a poorly understood and complex system."
Today
the EU is facing a crisis of confidence and mismanagement which was not
answered by the Constitution and will only be made
worse by the Reform Treaty/Treaty of Lisbon.
The
EU leadership is increasingly remote, incomprehensible and cynical in
its relationship with European citizens who are powerless to remove
them. EU leaders show a determination to exclude public scrutiny and
debate about their policies and at the same time take increasing powers
from democratically elected member states into centralised eurocontrol
in Brussels.
Citizens -
the essential component of the EU
The
citizens of Europe should be fully informed about the plans and
discussions of our leaders and engaged in active debate so that we can
exercise our democratic right to participate when important decisions
are to be taken.
This
book attempts to provide information and insights that will help
ordinary people to understand the EU, form their own opinions, and take
part in the European Union as active citizens.
Hopefully
it will stimulate debate amongst the political classes of Europe, in
the workplace, educational establishments, business, the professions,
churches and the media, and help to lead to a better EU, in touch with and acting in the interests of its citizens.
The
European Union and You
By
David Roberts
ISBN
978-0-9528969-4-4
600
pages
Hardback
£24-99
Available
from book suppliers worldwide
Trade
distributor, and in case of difficulty contact Vine House Distribution Ltd. www.vinehouseuk.co.uk
01825 723 398 (From outside UK dial 44 and drop initial 0) To top of page.
Author,
David Roberts
David Roberts has worked in industry, as a teacher, and for the past
eleven years as a writer and publisher. He is editor of two anthologies
of First World War poetry, author of a pamphlet on United Nations'
reform and is preparing a book on international law. He has spoken on
international relations at conferences and to interested groups
including The Young Fabians, London, Oxford University United Nations
Association, and the World Social Forum in London. He spoke
on the EU in Brighton in May in the Brighton Festival Fringe.
"The
European Union and You" is the fruit of almost three years of
full-time investigation.
To top of page
|
