"Europe is said to be in crisis. National leaders can seem to be more concerned with domestic issues than with identifying options which serve the interests of all European states, and a decade of institutional debate has not provided European citizens with a clear sense of direction. The European Union is often slow to respond to the crises with which it is faced and the quality of its responses has been called into question.

Sixty years after its invention, the operational system of the European Union still remains little-understood. This book provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of its functioning and achievements. The purpose of the volume, which includes contributions from leading scholars, is twofold. First, it aims to improve our understanding of the operation of the 'Community method,' shedding new light on its successes and failures. Secondly, it discusses to what extent the EU of today can be said to still be operating according to this model."

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