This volume commemorates the career of Sir Francis Jacobs KCMG QC, who served as British Advocate General at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg from October 1988 until January 2006.

The European Union's growing accountability deficit threatens to undermine its legitimacy. This was acknowledged by the Member States at their summit in Nice in December 2001. Recognising the need to improve 'the democratic legitimacy and transparency of the Union and its institutions, in order to bring them closer to its citizens', they agreed to launch a debate on the Union's future. That debate will start to crystallise in 2004, when negotiations on a new set of Treaty changes will begin.
The issue will therefore remain high on the political agenda for the foreseeable future. The...

The contributors to this interdisciplinary collection of essays consider various aspects of accountability and legitimacy in the European Union. How open should the Union's decision-making be? What is the right balance between accountability and efficiency? Does the Union now need a formal constitution? How can respect for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law in the Union best be ensured? These are just some of the questions explored in this book. It will be of interest to anyone concerned with the future of Europe, from students and academics to policy-makers, and...

This book is part of the Oxford EC Law Library. The aim of this series is to publish important and original studies of the various branches of European Community Law. Each work provides a clear, concise, and original critical exposition of the law in its social, economic, and political context, at a level which will interest the advanced student, the practitioner, the academic, and government and Community officials.
The European Court of Justice is a controversial institution. Its supporters see it as having played a central and positive role in shaping a polity which has given its...

Since its formation, the European Union has expanded beyond all expectations; this seems set to continue as more countries seek accession and the scope of EU law expands, touching more and more aspects of its citizens' lives. The EU has never been stronger and yet it now appears to be reaching a crisis point, beset on all sides by conflict and challenges to its legitimacy. Nationalist sentiment is on the rise and the Eurozone crisis has had a deep and lasting impact.

The European Union has the complexity and depth of a mature legal system, albeit one which is constantly in flux and whose...

The European Union is rarely out of the news and, as it deals with the consequences of the Brexit vote and struggles to emerge from the eurozone crisis, it faces difficult questions about its future. In this debate, the law has a central role to play, whether the issue be the governance of the eurozone, the internal market, "clawing back powers from Europe," or reducing so-called "Brussels red tape."

In this Very Short Introduction Anthony Arnull looks at the laws and legal system of the European Union, including EU courts, and discusses the range of issues that the European...

Since its formation, the European Union has expanded beyond all expectations; this seems set to continue as more countries seek accession and the scope of EU law expands, touching more and more aspects of its citizens' lives. The EU has never been stronger and yet it now appears to be reaching a crisis point, beset on all sides by conflict and challenges to its legitimacy. Nationalist sentiment is on the rise and the Eurozone crisis has had a deep and lasting impact.

The European Union has the complexity and depth of a mature legal system, albeit one which is constantly in flux and whose...