Revolutionary change in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; civil strife in the Balkans; the heavy burden of German reunification; war in the Gulf and its dramatic aftermath; the completion of the internal market in 1992 and the management of two highly complicated Intergovernmental Conferences -- more than ever before its history, the European Community has to operate strong pressure. This volume captures these problems in a systematic way and presents suggestions as to how the Twelve could cope with them, using the Dutch EC-Presidency as a reference point. The subjects dealt with include: the EC Presidentcy in a new European settingthe European Community and the wider EuropeEuropean foreign policy and security cooperation; 1992' and the Common Transport Policy Economic and social cohension in a Community of regionsthe politics of Economic and Monetary Union. The chapters are written by experienced specialists from both the international academic world (economics, international relations, European law), as well as from the European institutions. Together they provide a comprehensive and unique survey of the profound challenges confronting the European Community in the early 1990s.

The major constitional, political and legal issues confronting the European Union as the end of the century approaches are discussed in this book by scholars in the field. Taking as their point of departure the Inter-Governmental Conference of 1996, which will set the parameters for the next stage of integration in Europe, they look at external and internal demands and pressures, and at the interests and strategies of the political actors involved. The result is a wide-ranging assessment of Europe's future.