European Union and You
The basics and the issues  -  with statistics, maps, and diagrams

About
The European Union and You

By David Roberts

(2007)

Whilst this book is out of date in important respects there remain valid examinations of elements of its political principles and practices 

 

The European Union has the potential to become a truly democratic, open, accountable state, responsive to the needs and views of its electorate and able to deal with the major issues facing Europe and the world.

 

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, 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

• an in-depth examination of the policies, problems, plans and record of the EU.

 

With maps, diagrams and statistics.

 

Includes 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

• lack of political accountability

• inability to account adequately 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

• the influence of powerful lobbyists

• the problems of the Constitution, and the Reform Treaty/Treaty of Lisbon

 

Texts of some 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.

 

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600 pages hardback  9"x6"
Published by Saxon Books 2007

ISBN 978-0-9528969-4-4

£39-00 (UK)

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