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 Union has been given the power to regulate, such as the free movement of goods and people. He considers why an organisation based on international treaties has proved capable of having far-reaching effects on both its Member States and on countries that lie beyond its borders, and discusses how its law and legal system have proved remarkably effective in ensuring that Member States respect the commitments they made when they signed the Treaties. Answering some of the key questions surrounding EU law, such as what exactly it is about, and how it has become part of the legal DNA of its Member States so much more effectively than other treaty-based regimes, Arnull considers the future for the European Union. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Author(s): Anthony Arnull
Series: Very Short Introductions
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 176
City: Oxford
Cover
EUROPEAN UNION LAW: A Very Short Introduction
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
List of illustrations
Introduction
Chapter 1: What is EU law about?
The free movement of goods
The free movement of people
The scope of the free movement rules
Who is bound by the free movement rules?
Justifying obstacles to freedom of movement
The free movement of capital
Competition
Social policy
The transitional period
Chapter 2: From Common Market to European Union
The contemporary EU
The Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice
Competence creep?
Chapter 3: Secondary EU law
Conferral and competence
The European Parliament
The European Council
The Council
The Commission
Chapter 4: How secondary EU law is made
The ordinary legislative procedure
Enhanced cooperation
Special legislative procedures
Legislative acts
The choice of legal act
Does Brussels interfere too much?
Does the EU suffer from a ‘democratic deficit’?
Chapter 5: On the origin of treaties
Amending the Treaties
Joining the EU
Leaving the EU
General principles of law and fundamental rights
Chapter 6: EU law in the national courts
Direct effect and primacy
The direct effect of EU acts
Claiming damages where a Member State breaches EU law
The reaction of national courts
Chapter 7: The Court of Justice of the European Union
The Court of Justice
The General Court
Members of the CJEU
Judicial approach
Chapter 8: Enforcing EU law
Infringement proceedings
The action for annulment
The preliminary rulings procedure
Chapter 9: Coping with crises
The eurozone crisis
The migration crisis
The future?
References
General
Introduction
Chapter 1: What is EU law about?
Chapter 2: From Common Market to European Union
Chapter 3: Secondary EU law
Chapter 4: How secondary EU law is made
Chapter 5: On the origin of treaties
Chapter 6: EU law in the national courts
Chapter 7: The Court of Justice of the European Union
Chapter 8: Enforcing EU law
Chapter 9: Coping with crises
List of cases and EU measures
List of cases
Court of Justice of the European Union
Opinions of the Court of Justice under Article 218(11) TFEU on the compatibility with EU law of international agreements which the EU is proposing to conclude
National courts
List of EU measures
Further reading
Index
SOCIAL MEDIA: Very Short Introduction
Online Catalogue: A Very Short Introduction
Law: A Very Short Introduction
The European Union: A Very Short Introduction
