"One could hardly imagine a better commentator on the evolution of the European Parliament than Julian Priestley... formidable analytical skills." Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Sir Julian Priestley was Secretary-General of the European Parliament from 1997-2007, having been an official there since the 1970s. In this illuminating new book he looks at a series of key battles - all of which he witnessed at first hand - that contributed to the development of the Parliament's powers and influence.
The battles selected show Parliament engaged in a struggle not only to expand its formal institutional powers, in areas such as the budget, legislation and appointment, but also to command respect and recognition from the other European institutions. The author vividly demonstrates the complex interplay between politics and personalities in the Parliament and how internal political divisions at times proved a critical factor in determining outcomes.
Highly readable and deeply informative, this book is an essential complement to our textbook on the Parliament's powers and procedures, The European Parliament, by Richard Corbett MEP, Francis Jacobs and Michael Shackleton.
Price: 25.00 €
"Anyone interested in learning more about how Europe functions should read Jan Werts' fascinating book... An EU journalist par excellence, no-one is better qualified to write on this subject than Werts. No-one has been as close to quite so many European Council meetings... his focus is always on the issues of substance, often with remarkable results."
Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In this essential new book veteran EU media correspondent Jan Werts explains how the European Council, from modest origins in occasional summits, has become the strategic driving force of the European Union. He casts light on how it operates, its role vis a vis the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, and how its role will further change under the Treaty of Lisbon, in particular with the intended appointment of a full-time President.
JAN WERTS combines the skills of a journalist - having personally reported the great majority of European Council meetings since the 1970s - with the disciplines of an academic, having written the first doctoral dissertation on the European Council. He has written this book to assist both those studying the EU from an academic perspective and also those working at a practical level within the institutions who need to understand this often obscure body.
Approx. 280 Pages
Price: 27.00 €
Democratic Representation Beyond the Nation-State
Why have the national governments of EU member states successively endowed the European Parliament with supervisory, budgetary, and legislative powers over the past fifty years? Building Europe's Parliament sheds new light on this pivotal issue, and provides a major contribution to the study of the European Parliament.
Pages: 234
Publication date: Octobre 2007
Price: 31.13 €
Eppink's book gives the reader a rare and ironic glimpse of life in Europe's corridors of power. In his inimitable style, he sketches a portrait of the 'European Mandarins', the European Commission's senior administrators, of whom a German Euro-Commissioner recently said 'they have too much power and are too little controlled'.
Published: September 2007
Pages: 392 (140 x 210 mm)
Price: 24.95 €
The European Union is often accused of being an opaque, bureaucratic organisation. I am convinced that those who want to learn more about the European Union (its functioning, institutional set-up, decision-making and legal systems), and discover why European integration is so complicated and cumbersome, will fi nd the answers to their questions in the pages of this Handbook. The book sets out to cover not only the legal and institutional architecture, but also to explore all policy areas, ranging from economic policy to environmental protection, from cultural affairs to justice and home affairs, from trade to foreign policy.
European integration is a long and laborious process, but – nevertheless – it is the best way to ensure the prosperity of Europe’s peoples, as has been demonstrated by recent historic achievements, such as the introduction of the euro and the reunifi cation of Europe through the accession of Central and Eastern European countries that were not long ago separated from the rest of the continent by the Iron Curtain. Throughout history, there have always been ups and downs and successes are inevitably followed by crises, such as the referenda rejecting the Constitutional Treaty a few years ago. However, it is my conviction that such decisions are usually due to misinformation or a lack of information.This Handbook contributes to a better understanding of European integration and provides its readers with comprehensive up-to-date information to enable them to make the best use of the opportunities that the EU has to offer. The success of a united Europe hinges on well-informed citizens. I wish all readers a successful future in the European Union.
Katalin Szili
Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly
Price: 24.00 €
"An indispensable guide... both an excellent primer for students and a reliable reference tool for practitioners", Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament
Since first publication in 1990 this has been the standard work on the European Parliament, packed with information but also very readable. It covers every aspect of how the Parliament is elected, is organised and does its work and its relationship to the other EU institutions.
Price: 32.00 €
How and why do institutions change? Institutions, understood as rules of behaviour constraining and facilitating social interaction, are subject to different forms and processes of change. A change may be designed intentionally on a large scale and then be followed by a period of only incremental adjustments to new conditions. But institutions may also emerge as informal rules, persist for a long time and only be formalized later. Why?
Price: 69.34 €
Regional International Institutions in Comparative Perspective
Regional institutions are an increasingly prominent feature of world politics. Their characteristics and performance vary widely: some are highly legalistic and bureaucratic, while others are informal and flexible. They also differ in terms of inclusiveness, decision-making rules and commitment to the non-interference principle. This is the first book to offer a conceptual framework for comparing the design and effectiveness of regional international institutions, including the EU, NATO, ASEAN, OAS, AU and the Arab League.
Pages: 318
Publication Date : November 2007
Price: 30.66 €
"Describes in an accessible way how the Council has evolved and how it really works... A work of considerable authority." Javier Solana, secretary-general of the Council
Available now in paperback for the first time ever, this is the essential book on the Council of the European Union - the Council of Ministers - covering every aspect of how it operates.
"The definitive work on the EU Council of Ministers", The Bulletin
456 pages
Price: 35.00 €
Second Edition
* The only comprehensive text entirely dedicated to institutions, providing students with everything they need to know about the functions, powers, and composition of any EU institution.
* A 'real-life' view of what the institutions do and how they interact, making the subject more interesting and relevant.
* Carefully edited contributions from international experts, providing students with authoritative and accessible content.
* All chapters include excellent learning aids such as policy case studies, opening summaries, a guide to further reading and web links.
Edited by John Peterson, Chair of International Politics, University of Edinburgh and Michael Shackleton, Head of Division, Secretariat of the European Parliament, Brussels
Price: 40.00 €
"The last edition of this book was of immense help to me in reaching the centre of the European maze, and this edition already tops my pile of bedside guides" - Peter Mandelson, EU Trade Commissioner
This book is the complete guide to the Commission - how it is organised, its internal rules and working methods, and how it deals with its partners in the other EU institutions and the broader international community. It is a must for anyone working for or studying the EU institutions.
PUBLICATION 3 MAY 2006
Price: 35.00 €
An institutional perspective on unity/diversity, citizens/their helpers, democratic design/historical drift, and the co-existence of orders
This book deals with ongoing processes of European cooperation and integration, processes that may have a potential to change the political organization of Europe.
Price: 69.34 €
The Council of Ministers lies at the fulcrum of decision-making in the European Union. It is a key legislative institution, an executive institution in important policy areas, and a forum through which politicians and policy-makers from the member states address shared challenges and develop collective policies.
The Council of Ministers provides a comprehensive analysis of the Council: how it works, its varied activities, functions, and its relationships with the other key EU institutions and the member states.
Published: 2006
392 pages
Price: 37.69 €
2006-2007
Amcham EU’s first edition of the Guide to the Council of the European Union will prove to be an invaluable tool for anyone dealing occasionally or regularly with the Council or Member State governments.
Pages: 194
Publication date: 2006
Price: 70.75 €
Themes in European Governance
With the European Parliament comprising politicians from many different countries, cultures, languages, national parties and institutional backgrounds, one might expect politics in the Parliament to be highly-fragmented and unpredictable. By studying more than 12,000 recorded votes between 1979 and 2004 this book establishes that the opposite is in fact true: transnational parties in the European Parliament are highly cohesive and the classic 'left-right' dimension dominates voting behaviour. Furthermore, the cohesion of parties in the European Parliament has increased as the powers of the Parliament have increased.
Published: April 19, 2007
Pages: 258
Price: 25.35 €
"...this flagship AmCham EU publication has established itself as perhaps the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the European Parliament..."
Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament
Pages: 370
Publication date: December 2007
Price: 75.00 €
The European Union seems incapable of undertaking economic reforms and defining its place in the world. Public apathy towards the EU is also increasing, as citizens feel isolated from the institutions in Brussels and see no way to influence European level decisions.
Taking a diagnosis and cure approach to the EU's difficulties, Simon Hix tackles these problems with distinct clarity and open-mindedness. What the EU needs, Hix contends, is more open political competition. This would promote policy innovation, foster coalitions across the institutions, provide incentives for the media to cover developments in Brussels, and enable citizens to identify who governs in the EU and to take sides in policy debates. The EU is ready for this new challenge. The institutional reforms since the 1980s have transformed the EU into a more competitive polity, and political battles and coalitions are developing inside and between the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission.
This emerging politics should be more central to the Brussels policy process, with clearer coalitions and identifiable winners and losers, at least in the short term. The risks are low because the EU has multiple checks-and-balances. Yet, the potential benefits are high, as more open politics could enable the EU to overcome policy gridlock, rebuild public support, and reduce the democratic deficit. This indispensable book will be of great interest to students of the European politics, scholars, policy makers and anyone concerned with the future of the European Union.
Pages: 228
Publication Date : January 2008
Price: 23.11 €