The essential Pelican introduction to the European Union - its history, its politics, and its role today For most of us today, 'Europe' refers to the European Union. At the centre of a seemingly never-ending crisis, the EU remains a black box, closed to public understanding. Is it a state? An empire? Is Europe ruled by Germany or by European bureaucrats? Does a single European economy exist after all these years of economic integration? And should the EU have been awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2012? Critics tell us the EU undermines democracy. Are they right? In this provocative volume, political scientist Chris Bickerton provides an answer to all these key questions and more at a time when understanding what the EU is and what it does is more important than ever before.

The citizenship curriculum, which became statutory in 2002, aims to create informed citizens by enabling pupils to play an effective role in society. This series examines the institutions, rights and responsibilities that underpin our lives in the UK and relates them to the experience of the reader. Each book looks at a different aspect of UK society, such as the law, national and local government or the media.

The European Union (EU) is not a federal State like the United States of America. Nor is it a purely intergovernmental organisation like the United Nations. It is, in fact, unique. Its member countries remain independent sovereign nations, but they pool their sovereignty and thus gain much greater collective strength and influence.This means taking joint decisions through shared institutions such as the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission. But what does each of these institutions do? How do they work together? Who is responsible for what?This booklet sets out the answers in clear and simple language. It also gives a brief overview of the agencies and other bodies that are involved in the European Unionœs work. The aim is to provide you with a helpful guide to EU decision-making.

In our daily lives, the rule of law matters more than anything and yet remains an invisible presence. We trust in the rule of law to protect us from governmental overreach, mafia godfathers, or the will of the majority. We take the rule of law for granted, often failing to recognize its demise—until it is too late. For under attack it is, not only in the growing number of authoritarian countries around the world but in Europe, too. As a citizen’s guide, this book explains in plain language what the rule of law is, why it matters, and why we have to defend it. The starting point is to ask why EU efforts to promote the rule of law in candidate countries have succeeded or failed, and what this tells us about what is happening inside the EU. The authors move on to suggest ways of strengthening the rule of law in Europe and beyond. This book is a call to action in defense of the most precious human invention of all time.

Concise and handy guide to the European Union fully updated for this paperback edition. This book looks at the role of the European Union from its conception to present day. It covers what the European Union is and the benefits of membership, how it came to be what it is today, its key institutions and their role, and ends by looking at future developments. At the end there is an activity which challenges the reader to find out more about the European Union and the countries which belong to it.