This comprehensive and innovative book demonstrates the dynamics of welfare policies in different socioeconomic settings by providing comparative analyses of the Baltic and Nordic welfare state systems. The book contributes to finding and reflecting upon innovative solutions to common challenges in European welfare states. Challenging conventional welfare state research, the authors compare the Nordic countries with the welfare states of the market-oriented democracies of the Baltic area, discussing welfare state theories, family policy regimes and welfare state models. Top international contributors provide a better understanding of the complex inequalities that families and individuals are facing in the 21st century, and cover important topics such as poverty, social insurance and family policy in the Nordic and Baltic areas. Challenges to the Welfare State will be of great interest to social policy scholars and policy makers, particularly those with an interest in the Baltic and Nordic countries. It will also be a welcome addition to the literature for students interested in family policy and pension protection reforms, and those with a general interest in the contemporary welfare state studies in Europe.

In recent years, the international engagement of the EU's decentralized agencies has continued to increase in the absence of a clear political and legal framework for their activities. This timely book addresses urgent questions about these agencies' external actions and their effects, how these should be conceptualized and assessed, and how they can and should be governed in the future. Bringing together pioneering interdisciplinary work from European legal and political scholars, this book combines theory with empirical case studies to explore an underdeveloped field and identify a future research agenda. Chapters first comprehensively examine the relevant legal frameworks and the political aspects of these decentralized agencies' external activities, before exploring the questions this raises around their own and the EU's legitimacy and accountability, and the impact of agencies on countries outside the EU who have dealings with them. Scholars in law, political science, economics and public administration will find this book invaluable, particularly those working on external relations, agencification or institutional innovation. It will also prove useful to policymakers at EU and national level, as well as other stakeholders such as non-EU countries and international organizations.

This cutting-edge book explores the practices and socialization of the everyday foreign policy making in the European Union (EU), focusing on the individuals who shape and implement the Common Foreign and Security Policy despite a growing dissension among member states. The authors provide theoretically informed analyses based on up-to-date empirical material from the Political and Security Committee, Council working groups, the European External Action Service, EU delegations, military and civilian missions and operations and EU member state embassies. They illustrate the ways in which European foreign policy is shaped through the daily work of diplomats, exploring the communities of practice that are formed in the process of policy-making in the EU. Combining socialization and practice approaches, the book offers an innovative take on the motivations behind integration at a time of European discord. Providing a unique inside account of diplomatic practices and the coordination of EU foreign policy, this insightful book is crucial reading for students of political science and international relations at all levels seeking to better understand the minutiae of formulating and coordinating EU foreign and security policy. Its empirical analyses will also benefit scholars and researchers interested in European integration and socialization in international organizations, as well as practitioners, such as diplomats and European civil servants.

Through the lens of five institutional functions - quasi-legislative, quasi-judicial, recommendatory, empowering and sanctioning - this important book assesses the practice and legal foundations of the United Nations General Assembly in advancing international justice, an increasing priority of the international community. Challenging the assumption that the General Assembly is merely a weak deliberative assembly, Michael Ramsden shows that its pioneering resolutions on international justice have become an invaluable tool in the fight against impunity. As concerns remain over the aptness of international institutions in responding to atrocities, particularly the Security Council, this book establishes the legal foundation for the General Assembly to step into the breach. Chapters also offer innovative arguments on the General Assembly's institutional powers to end impunity as well as a detailed examination on the influence of General Assembly resolutions in judicial decision-making. International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly will be a key resource for scholars and students in the fields of international law and international institutional law, as well as UN and international institutional practitioners who are involved in policy development.

Citizenship is an ever-evolving and expanding concept. European citizenship is all the more so. This book considers the role that the institutional design of the European Union plays in extending the rights of EU citizens. With chapters from leading researchers in the field, Democratic Empowerment in the European Union outlines the core themes relating to democratic empowerment in the EU. It examines the channels that are being made available by EU policymakers to help increase democratic participation, as well as the hindrances to, and the problems associated with, democratic empowerment. With its groundbreaking account of the ways in which EU citizens are hampered in exercising their democratic citizenship, and proposals for how they might be further empowered to do so, this book is an important addition to the literature on the subject, and offers an excellent introduction to this crucial issue. Democratic Empowerment in the European Union will be essential reading for students of politics and both social and public policy with interests in democracy and citizenship, as well as European policymakers seeking to understand and encourage democratic engagement. Contributors include: W. Bakker, T. Binder, R.I. Csehi, F. Cheneval, K. Dinur, O. Eberl, M. Ferrin, R. Fransen, D. Gaus, A. Gerbrandy, H. Haber, P. Kaniok, V. Koska, N. Kosti, D. Levi-Faur, S. Seubert, C. Struenck, U. Puetter, F. van Waarden, R. Zwieky

This timely book explores the current state of EU-Africa relations from a multidisciplinary perspective, placing emphasis on recent developments in five areas that are crucial for EU-Africa relations: development cooperation, trade, migration, security and democratization. It considers how Africa's dependence on the EU has decreased due to the declining importance of development cooperation, and increasing cooperation with emerging powers, notably the BRIC nations. The book asks two key questions in relation to these areas: first, whether the EU effectively pursues a forward-looking strategy suggested in the official discourse or is following a strategy that still reflects asymmetrical postcolonial relations; and second, whether Africa will be able to push for a more balanced relationship with Europe by using the leverage provided by emerging powers. To answer these questions, expert contributors explore the impact of African migration on the domestic policy of EU member states, security and conflict resolution in Africa, EU trade policy and African economic development, and how local dynamics and international pressures affect democratisation in Africa. Offering new directions of research on EU-Africa relations, this book will be critical reading for scholars and students of international relations, European policy and international politics. It will also be a useful resource for policy makers, activists and civil society groups interested in EU-Africa cooperation.

This comprehensive textbook provides a thorough guide to the economic analysis of law, with a particular focus on civil law systems. It encapsulates a structured analysis and nuanced evaluation of norms and legal policies, using the tools of economic theory. Key features include: Examples and cases that illustrate central concepts of the economic analysis of law in relation to civil law doctrines Examination of the core areas of civil law: tort law, contract law, property law, intellectual property law as well as basic problems of insolvency law and corporate law In-depth analysis of the legal rules of statutory law and judge-made law, demonstrating the extent to which these rules are either based on economic criteria or run parallel to them - and the extent to which such criteria facilitate the application and further development of law. This substantially revised second edition presents the latest insights into legal economic research, including important empirical and behavioural deliberations. It will be a valuable guide for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of law and economics.

This book examines the role of the European Court of Justice in the regulation of the internal market from a competence perspective. However, rather than focusing on the Court's role in enforcing the limits of EU competence in the EU's political decision making, it explores a related, albeit understudied, question: to what extent does the Court observe the constitutional limits of EU competence and its own institutional powers in the interpretation of EU internal market law laid down in the Treaties? The book provides an answer to this question through the analysis of EU free movement case law in light of the constitutional principles that govern the allocation of competences and powers in the EU: conferral, subsidiarity and proportionality, on the vertical level, and institutional balance, on the horizontal level. Why should the Court be bound by these principles? What do they mean when applied to judicial practice? To what extent are they observed in the free movement case law? The book argues that the Court's observance of the four principles has been inconsistent, thereby creating substantive and constitutional tensions in the EU's relationship with the Member States and upsetting the institutional balance of powers between the EU legislature and judiciary.

This unique book explores what subregions are in a European context and what roles they fulfil in relation to the European integration process, exploring how subregional cooperation and integration in Europe largely take place in the shadow of the European integration process. Mats Braun examines how subregions fulfil two specific functions in relation to the European integration process: they compensate for the fact that countries are connected to the European Union in different ways, and they facilitate cooperation in fields where the EU has failed to do so. The book analyses two of the European subregions in detail, the Nordics and the Visegrad, and explores how these groups gain legitimacy. Braun suggests that Nordic cooperation is based on perceptions of shared norms relating, among other things, to peace, while the Visegrad Group has become widely known only in the aftermath of the migration crisis and is now developing a new narrative based on protecting Europe. Elaborating on a theoretical framework based on postfunctionalism, this book will be critical reading for scholars and students of European politics and policy, international relations and regional studies. Its focus on the two case studies will also be beneficial for policy makers and analysts interested in the politics of the Nordic and Visegrad countries.

This insightful book analyses EU foreign policy vis-a-vis Turkey over the last institutional cycle, uncovering how its internal functioning and structural context affects the decisions made by the EU, in both day-to-day and crisis situations. It reconstructs and interprets EU--Turkey relations since 2014, arguing that Turkey has, overall, become a key strategic partner to the EU. Acknowledging that EU enlargement policy is part of a broader foreign policy framework, which also includes other domains such as the external dimension of migration and CFSP, Elena Baracani adopts a unique approach, combining more actor-oriented factors with structural factors to analyse EU--Turkey relations. Special features include the use of first-hand empirical material, an introduction to the concept of different shades of EU foreign policy, and a new, comprehensive evaluation of EU foreign policy actorness. Original and perceptive, EU--Turkey Relations will be of special interest to scholars and students in the field of EU studies and foreign policy, who are looking to further their understanding of the foreign policy contributions of different institutions and bureaucratic actors.

In this thought-provoking book, Jose M. Magone investigates the growing political, economic and social divisions between the core countries of the European Union and the southern European periphery. He examines the major hindrances that are preventing the four main southern European countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece) from keeping up with the increasing pace of European integration, and the effects that this is having on democratic governance. Offering a comprehensive comparative overview of southern European politics over the past two decades, the book analyses the impact of the EU's political economy on democracy in the region, in particular the consequences of the Eurocrisis and the economic instability of the 2010s. It argues that these countries have failed to proactively initiate necessary strategic reforms in order to prevent economic and democratic stagnation, and have especially struggled to cope with the changing realities of Europeanization and the demands of Economic and Monetary Union. Students and scholars of European politics will find this book useful and insightful, in particular those interested in southern Europe's political economy and Europeanization. It will also be beneficial for policy makers working in southern European governments and organizations.

This insightful book assesses the theory of constitutional pluralism in light of the events of the Eurozone crisis of the past decade. Based on an analysis of how national courts reviewed the crisis response mechanisms and participated in the European-level political process, Tomi Tuominen argues that constitutional pluralism is not a valid normative theory of European constitutionalism. The analysis of crisis response mechanisms focuses on how the lack of a proper economic policy competence for the EU affected the formation of the measures and is at the root of the criticism concerning these mechanisms. Furthermore, the author connects discussions on the Eurozone crisis and constitutional pluralism in an innovative fashion, whilst also explaining how asymmetry and pluralism are linked. A novel reading on the horizontal and vertical aspects of Article 4(2) TEU is also developed throughout. Utilizing up-to-date and original analyses, The Euro-Crisis and Constitutional Pluralism will be an important read for scholars and students of European law, EU constitutional law and public policy.

This timely book examines the imminent dangers to European stability: the socio-economic crisis of global production that has reinforced structural inequalities; the climate crisis and its associated environmental degradation; and the onset and fallout of Covid-19. Placing the triple crisis in the context of EU, European and global geographies, it introduces a new conceptual framework to describe continuing systemic crisis and change in the EU. Based on a rich and varied array of source material, Attila Agh offers a new insight into the future of European politics through twin conceptual pillars: 'Awaking Europe', which describes a Re-United Europe that brings together its key regions; and 'Emerging Europe', which refers to the upgrading of EU mechanisms to shape Europe as a global player through multilateralism. Presenting an integrative analysis of the triple crisis and its management, it describes and dissects the overarching creative crisis of the EU and the major direction of the Union's strategy for renewal. Incisive and provocative, this book is critical reading for scholars and researchers in political science, European studies and economics, particularly those focusing on EU economic policy and the relationships between global powers. It will also benefit policymakers looking for innovative approaches to social investment and sustainable development.

This timely book presents an in-depth investigation of who benefits from European financial market regulatory measures and how decision-makers and stakeholders are held politically and administratively accountable. The extensive study illustrates the full range of the actors involved in key regulatory processes such as the regulation of high-frequency trading and the activities of central-clearing counterparties. Chapters outline how politicians, regulators and market players are linked in various political and administrative accountability mechanisms. Providing analysis of how the accountability channels are linked to policy content, contributors ask whether specific regulatory objectives and results give rise to the mobilising of accountability mechanisms. Regulating Finance in Europe critically examines the implementation of major EU legislative packages in financial regulation (MiFID II and CMU), offering a unique empirical insight into how different modes of accountability in financial market regulation are linked with different policy effects. This comprehensive yet accessible book will be an invaluable read for politicians and practitioners working in finance as well as academics in EU politics and policies. It will also provide a useful resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of political science, law and economics.

This book examines how, within foreign policy, perceptions are a reflection of an actor's conception of status, credibility and legitimacy assigned to the Self and the Others. Perceptions of the Self and Other and their roles in international relations are also informed by images of superiority, intent and affinity. Perceptions may change over time and under the impact of dramatic events. Chapters explore the perceptions of both sides of EU-Ukraine relations, and propose a new set of concepts to highlight internal and external role incongruences, including: perception gaps, expectations-performance gaps and hope-performance gaps. A differentiation between cognitive, emotive and normative elements of images helps to explain role conflicts. The book further offers a comparison of EU self-images and Ukrainian expectations and perceptions in four areas of external actions of the EU: as an international leader and global and regional power, a partner for Ukraine, a peace mediator and a public diplomacy actor. Scholars and students of international relations, European politics, and EU foreign policy will find this book a useful resource. It will also benefit those studying political communication, as the book considers conceptual metaphor theory in its application to the studies of images and perceptions in international relations and communication about complex political events and actors.

What the Bible reveals about the European Union.

This perceptive analysis examines the effect of the EU on Turkish counter-terrorism polices towards the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Islamic State (ISIL), and aims to investigate the extent to which the EU has developed the capacity to play a role in Turkish counter-terrorism policy through promoting democratisation. The book analyses the EU's normative role in Turkey during four distinct periods: the inertia (1984-1999), the conditional transformation (1999-2004), the social transformation (2004-2015), and the backsliding periods (2015-2020). Ethem Ilbiz and Christian Kaunert consider how the paradigm shifts in Turkish counter-terrorism policies that occurred during these periods have their basis in different domestic and EU-level factors. Exploring the EU's relations with candidate countries, the book highlights how its influence on Turkey is connected to the viable prospect of Turkey's membership. Examining one of the most important policy areas of European integration, this book will be critical reading for academics and students of European politics and policy, international relations, terrorism and security, and regional studies. It will also be beneficial for practitioners, politicians, and non-governmental and civil society organizations.

The principle of effective judicial protection ('PEJP') is specifically provided for in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights Article 47. But how effective is the provision and the protection it affords? This ambitious, innovative project examines that question over two volumes. In the first volume an expert team explores how the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has interpreted the PEJP, as expressed in particular by Article 47, in selected policy areas, and reflects on the impact of the principle on the EU's constitutional structure. Taking both a horizontal interpretation, analysing the constitutional themes in play, and a vertical one, which looks at the Court's interpretation in specific policy areas, it shows the interplay of the protection within the wider architecture of the EU. Addressing key questions such as legal certainty, judicial autonomy and division of competences, it significantly adds to our understanding of judicial protection within the EU.

This timely book presents international and interdisciplinary perspectives on the dynamics, trajectories and consequences of Brexit. Focusing on the interaction of legal and economic issues, it evaluates the relevance of non-economic expectations and 'red lines' involved in the process of the UK's exit from the EU. Contributors employ a range of methodological approaches, from game theory to the study of populism, to address the viability of WTO rules as an alternative to the EU's internal market, future financial market regulation and commercial dispute settlement after Brexit. Chapters measure the trade-off between British autonomy and potential gains from trade, assessing how the UK may interact with the European Court of Justice and EU law. Incorporating insights from economics as well as European and international law, this thought-provoking book looks to the future of the UK and how it will contend with capital markets, adjudication of commercial law and pitfalls in the withdrawal agreement. Featuring law and economics viewpoints from renowned international scholars, this book will be indispensable reading for academic lawyers, economists and political scientists, particularly those with an interest in EU law and the implications of Brexit. It will also be useful to politicians, civil servants and legal practitioners in need of a measured response to the UK withdrawal agreement and the imminent outcomes of Brexit.

The permanent five (P5) members of the United Nations Security Council ? China, France, Russia, the UK, and the USA - have a firm duty to prevent genocide in light of the due diligence standard under conventional, customary, and peremptory international law. This perceptive book explores the positive obligations of these states to act both within and without the Security Council context to prevent or suppress imminent or on-going genocide. John Heieck successfully argues why the duty to prevent genocide is not only a customary, but also an absolute norm of international law, and analyses the scope of the due diligence standard regarding the duty to prevent genocide. In doing so, he considers the ramifications of this on the actions of the P5 members of the Security Council, both within and outside of this eminent body. Significantly, Heieck proposes a legal test for identifying jus cogens norms, and explores the effect of these on the actions and omissions of specifically identified members of the United Nations (UN). Topical and insightful, A Duty to Prevent Genocide will be an important read for both academics and students of international law and politics who wish to further understand the legal nature of the duty of the P5 members to prevent genocide. It will also provide valuable insights for policymakers of the P5 member states.

Since its establishment the work of the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has been subject to many interpretations, with differing theories proffered and conclusions drawn. This comprehensive guide, from an author with an intimate knowledge of the organisation, dissects every aspect of the UNHRCs work examines the efficiency of, and interactions between, its mechanisms. The book also offers a meticulous overview of the structure and functions of the Council and its processes, providing readers not only with a clear and practical guide, but a platform from which to formulate their own opinions and conclusions. Key Features: Authored by the first Secretary of the UNHRC Unique practical insights from a UN insider Explanation of the complex decision-making processes of the Council UNHRC procedures described within the overall context in which they operate Highlights vital, but hard to access, UN and UNHRC documents and references Clear and accessible, this informative book will be a key resource for NGO's, diplomats, UN officials and other participants in UNHRC proceedings, whilst also being valuable to human rights students and academics seeking to broaden their understanding of UNHRC operations.

'The definitive account of the history of poverty finance' - Susanne Soederberg Finance, mobile and digital technologies - or 'fintech' - are being heralded in the world of development by the likes of the IMF and World Bank as a silver bullet in the fight against poverty. But should we believe the hype? A Critical History of Poverty Finance demonstrates how newfangled 'digital financial inclusion' efforts suffer from the same essential flaws as earlier iterations of neoliberal 'financial inclusion'. Relying on artificially created markets that simply aren't there among the world's most disadvantaged economic actors, they also reinforce existing patterns of inequality and uneven development, many of which date back to the colonial era. Bernards offers an astute analysis of the current fintech fad, contextualised through a detailed colonial history of development finance, that ultimately reveals the neoliberal vision of poverty alleviation for the pipe dream it is.

'The field of international criminal justice owes its growth more to practice than to theory. Hugely important theoretical questions have often been given short shrift. But not by Gabriel Lentner. In an accessible style and on the basis of wide reading, he addresses head-on one of the most fundamental theoretical questions pertaining to the International Criminal Court: what is the legal nature of referrals made by the United Nations Security Council to the ICC of situations in states that are not parties to the Statute? He illustrates the significance of that question with supreme verve. A most promising debut.' - Sarah M.H. Nouwen, University of Cambridge and Pembroke College, UK Drawing on both theory and practice, this insightful book offers a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), centered on the referral mechanism. Arguing that the legal nature of the referral must be conceptualized as a conferral of powers from the UNSC to the ICC, the author explores the complex legal relationship between interacting international organizations. With a novel approach to the relationship between the UNSC and the ICC, this book addresses important questions raised in practice. In particular, Gabriel M. Lentner explores issues regarding any limits and conditions for referral under the UN Charter and the Rome Statute, and the legal effects on heads-of-state immunity, as well as the validity of jurisdictional exemptions for other specific categories of nationals. This is a persuasive study into the powers of the UNSC with respect to international criminal law. With its timely focus on an important topic, this book will be vital reading for academics in international institutional law, international criminal law, and human rights law. ICC judges and lawyers, as well as lawyers involved in the UN, governments, and non-governmental organizations will also benefit from this book.

This book explores the ways in which the EU features overlapping spheres of authority. Using territorial ideas prevalent in the Medieval Period, Andreas Faludi offers ways to rethink the current debates surrounding territorialism in the EU. Challenging contemporary European spatial planning, this book explores how modern planning puts the democratic control of state territories and their development in question. The notion of democracy in an increasingly interconnected world is a key issue, and as such Faludi advocates a Europe where national borders are questioned, and ultimately transgressed. Progressive and timely, this book is an invaluable read for academic and practicing planners concerned with European planning and co-operation. Critical social and political geographers will also benefit from the revolutionary insights Faludi offers.