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Providing students with all the essential information required and a full definition of terms, this companion to Western European politics presents past events, prominent personalities, important dates, organizations and electoral information in an accessible, easy-to-read format.

Recent debate on the existence of democratic processes in the European Union (EU) has provoked more questions than answers. The difficulty of choosing a suitable model for comparison is cited along with the need for the EU to use increasingly democratic means. Lord explores the means by which democratic government may reliably reflect public wishes. It is asserted that more democracy in the EU could mean less legitimacy. Means of avoiding this problem are explored via a list of methods for institutionalizing democracy & a comparison of intergovernmental & supranational approaches. Also considered are the idea of democratizing the EU by a "consociational" method & monitoring governors. Examples of deeper democratization's impact on national & populist representation are given. European elections & the European Parliament (EP) are examined for their ability to herald results of the proposed change. There is discussion of the powers of executive formation & dismissal & of the EP's legislative power. The possibilities attending strengthening of the EP, popular election of an EU executive, & Swiss-style referendums are analyzed. 1 Table, 40 References. M. C. Leary

This article provides a case study of the controversy surrounding the regulation of agricultural biotechnology in the European Union. It interprets the recent struggles surrounding attempts to license Bovine Somatotropin (BST), a synthesised hormone which increases dairy production, in relation to the claims of contemporary social theorists relating to the concept of 'reflexive modernisation'. In this example of a late modern policy debate, existing regulatory and political institutions have had limited success in resolving conflict. In a context characterised by a general incapacity for institutional learning and development, it is argued that the European Parliament has provided a significant focus for debate.

The commercialisation of sport in Europe raises important questions concerning the most appropriate method of regulating sporting activity. The development of the European Union and the internationalisation of sporting competition has added an international dimension to this debate. Yet sport is not simply a business to be regulated in the same way as any other industry. It is also a social and cultural activity. Can regulation at EU level reconcile this tension? Adopting a distinctive legal and political analysis, this book argues that the EU is receptive to the sports sectors claims for special treatment before the law. The book investigates the birth of EU sports law and policy by examining: the Bosman ruling and other significant European Court of Justice decisions; the relationship between sport and EU competition law; the possibility of sport being exempt from EU law; the relationship between sport and the EU Treaty; the development of a EU sports policy. This book is essential for those interested in the major issues facing sport and its relationship with the EU. It is essential for those interested in sports law, the politics of sport and EU integration. It offers important insights into these debates and raises key questions concerning the appropriate theoretical tools for analysing European integration.

Bromley reiterates his original contention concerning the revelatory potential of studying the EU (European Union)'s governance. The book's discussion of divergent formats is reviewed for insight into the workings of integration. Hix's summary of the pertinent differences in intergovernmental & supranational models is quoted. An argument for the EU as a functional federal state is illustrated, & debate over characterization of the EU as a regulatory state is reviewed. Nation states are compared with the EU through first an intergovernmental, then multilevel filter. Exploration of the EU's authority & credibility turns from questions of models to arguments by Rosamond, Majone, Scharpf, & Thompson regarding regulatory function, market efficiency, redistribution, & political community. 3 Tables, 8 References. M. C. Leary

Cover -- Contents -- Preface and Acknowledgements -- Acronyms -- Introduction -- Argument and structure of the book -- 1 Traditional Narratives, Traditional Theory -- The widening perspective -- The deepening perspective -- The interstate bargain perspective -- The liberal tradition and European integration -- Realism and the intergovernmentalist critique -- Conclusion -- 2 Critical Political Economy -- An alternative narrative: socioeconomic epochs -- The Red Queen Syndrome -- Open Marxism: basic functions and form of capitalist governance and the EU -- The EU and inter-capitalist rivalry: the legacies of Servan-Shreiber, Mandel, and Poulantzas -- Regulation theory: Fordism, finance-led accumulation, and the repression of social democratic alternatives -- The Amsterdam School: accumulation strategies and hegemonic projects -- Conclusion -- 3 The Single Market: Consolidating Neoliberalism -- The single market project: 'Europe 1992' -- Explaining the relaunch -- The relaunch and Europe's social model of capitalism? Possibility of synthesis? -- The single market, neoliberalism, and finance-led growth -- Conclusion -- 4 Origins and Development of the Emu: Money and Finance in the European Union -- Monetary and financial developments in Europe -- Liberal theories in trouble: the 'economics' of the EMU and financial liberalization -- The 'politics' of the EMU and financial liberalization -- Post-Keynesian and regulation theoretical alternatives -- The (non-)optimal currency area problem -- Whither Rhineland capitalism? -- Social forces in the making of European money and finance -- Conclusion -- 5 The Welfare State: Whither the 'Social Dimension'? -- European welfare capitalism -- EU social policy -- Debates over the social dimension: the pessimists versus the optimists -- Conclusion -- 6 Core and Periphery in an Enlarged European Union.

The second edition ofEuropean Union Foreign Policy in a Changing World provides a clear introduction to the complexities of contemporary European foreign policy and offers a fresh and distinctive perspective on the nature of the EU's international identity. Thoroughly revised and expanded, the book explores how and why the EU tries to achieve five core foreign policy objectives: the encouragement of regional cooperation; the advancement of human rights; the promotion of democracy and good governance; the prevention of violent conflicts; and the fight against international crime, including terrorism. In pursuing these goals, the book illustrates how the EU is faced with acute policy dilemmas because the five objectives not only clash with each other, but also with additional policy priorities – such as securing energy supplies or establishing strategic partnerships with key powers. The uniqueness of the EU as a global actor is carefully assessed, and its key policies and the related dilemmas it faces compared with those of other international actors. This well-written and thoroughly researched book will be a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of European politics, foreign policy analysis, international relations and related disciplines. Karen Smith is Reader in International Relations at the London School of Economics.