Since 2001, the prevention of violent conflicts has been a priority of the European Union's external policy. In addition to new operational competences developed under the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the European Union is particularly suited to combat root-causes of conflicts throughout the world. The current draft Constitution for Europe proposes to insert the prevention of conflicts within the text of the Treaty. This volume explores and scrutinizes the progress achieved by the European Union in the definition of a concrete conflict prevention strategy, as well as the challenges it...

The United Nations and the European Union: an ever stronger partnership provides a comprehensive overview of EU-UN cooperation, identifying the role of the various actors involved in the decision-making process and its influence in areas stretching from environmental protection to human rights, crisis management, public health and the protection of refugees. By collecting contributions of renowned EU and UN experts, diplomats and scholars, the book will be of interest to a wide range of readers, including academics, students, policy makers as well as civil society actors.

This book addresses the effects of European integration on the position of public international law in EU Member States.

Rules are no longer merely made by states, but increasingly by international organizations and other international bodies. At the same time these rules do impact the daily life of citizens and companies as it has become increasingly difficult to draw dividing lines between international, EU and domestic law. This book introduces the notion of 'multilevel regulation' as a way to study these normative processes and the interplay between different legal orders. It indicates that many rules in such areas as trade, financial cooperation, food safety, pharmaceuticals, security, terrorism, civil...

peace. Only through partnership with local actors can international norms be c- bined with a respect and understanding of local context, and promote the transfer of responsibilities and ownership to the populations concerned. In this work we need to engage with local civil society as well as representatives of media and local business communities. The link between peace, security and development has been widely recognised by the international community, and as a response, the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) was created in 2005. The European Union is committed to actively...

An interdisciplinary approach to the study of the EU in UN human rights and environmental governance which addresses the legal and political science dimensions. With contributions from academics and policy-makers, this volume is a comprehensive analysis of how the challenges it faces impact on the EU's position in UN fora.

The effect on developing countries by the arrival of foreign direct investment (FDI) has been a subject of controversy for decades in the development community. This book adopts an interdisciplinary perspective combining insights from international investment law, human rights law and economics.

For years the European Union has been looked on as a potential model for cosmopolitan governance, and enjoyed considerable influence on the global stage. The EU has a uniquely strong and legally binding mission statement to pursue international relations on a multilateral basis, founded on the progressive development of international law. The political vision was for the EU to export its values of the rule of law and sophisticated governance mechanisms to the international sphere.
Globalization and the financial crisis have starkly illustrated the limits of this vision, and the EU's...

International Organizations and Member State Responsibility: Critical Perspectives is the first international public law book entirely devoted to the topic of member state responsibility. Throughout its ten contributions, it takes stock of the legal developments brought about by the International Law Commission's work on international responsibility, and critically unveils the major remaining conceptual gaps in the field. The novel approaches offered in the book serve as a repository of the various understandings within academia and legal practice that reflect the evolution of the...