The Institutions of the European Union

The Institutions of the European Union is the key text for anyone wishing to understand the functions, powers, and composition of the EU's institutions. From the Council of Ministers to the European Central Bank, all of the most important organizations are analysed and explained by international experts. The third edition has been fully updated and includes the impact of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the financial crisis in the Eurozone on the EU's institutions. Authoritative yet accessible, it remains the best guide to how this range of different bodies work together to provide political direction, manage policies, and integrate contrasting interests within the European Union.

1 - The EU's Institutions: an Overview
2 - Institutional Change in the EU
3 - The European Council
4 - The Council of Ministers
5 - The College of Commissioners
6 - The European Parliament
7 - The European Court of Justice
8 - The Commission's Services
9 - Managing the Euro - the European Central Bank
10 - Managing Europeanization - The European Agencies
11 - Financial Control - the Court of Auditors and OLAF
12 - Security Interests - Police and Judicial Cooperation
13 - International Interests - the Common Foreign and Security Policy
14 - National Interests - COREPER
15 - Policy Interests - the European Parliament's Party Groups
16 - Social and Regional Interests - ECOSOC and Committee of the Regions
17 - Conclusion

Michael Shackleton is Special Professor at the University of Maastricht