Handbook of Public Administration and Policy in the European Union

Book excerpt: The Handbook of Public Administration and Policy in the European Union focuses on the current state of the EU while also demonstrating how its current structure came into being and how it may change in the near future. Although most existing literature is either policy-oriented or institution-oriented, this textbook employs a different, more comprehensive approach. Not only does it analyze selected EU laws and most EU institutions, it is also unique in that it brings together EU public administration, EU institutions, and, most importantly, EU policies into a comprehensive text. Divided into five parts, the book provides an overview of theory discourses on European integration, followed by an analysis of the development of European organizations. Part II explains the nature of the EU, highlighting its institutions. Part III addresses various dimensions of public administration, followed by a review in Part IV of major EU policies, including the Common Agricultural Policy. The textbook concludes with a history of Economic and Monetary Union and a study of the European Central Bank and the euro.