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Contemporary European Studies book series

Recently published books by UACES members.

About the Series

The Routledge-UACES Contemporary European Studies book series (CES) publishes first-rate research in European Union Studies. The Series Editors are particularly keen to encourage approaches that are interdisciplinary. CES seeks to publish excellent material from both established and new scholars.

The series is edited by Eleanor BrooksBen Farrand, Helena Farrand Carrapico and Benjamin Martill.

We welcome proposals for new titles. More details are available here.

For more information about the books in the series visit the Routledge website.

(In)visible European Government
Ida Koivisto, Päivi Leino-Sandberg, Maarten Hillebrandt
This book questions the theoretical premises and practical applications of transparency, showing both the promises and perils of transparency in a methodologically innovative way and in a cross-section of policy instruments.
This book examines EU and US bilateral trade and investment relations with China, their attempts to level the economic playing field and to narrow the ‘reciprocity gap’ in market openness.
The book argues that the Commission used these trade agreements, signed primarily with countries in Asia and Latin America, to advance European integration by ensuring that they became wider in scope and institutionally deeper by establishing ‘joint bodies’ – even in the face of resistance from member states in the Council of the European Union.
This book investigates the politicisation and framing of immigration in the media and political arena in Central Europe, examining two countries - Czechia and Slovakia - in the period surrounding the “European migrant crisis”.
This book argues that the European public sphere functions to help citizens understand complex economic issues and discuss them meaningfully across borders. The book demonstrates that debates in the European public sphere spread knowledge to the population just as national debates do, thus allowing transnational deliberation to function in the EU and potentially advance a European identity.
European Banking Nationalism
Gaia Pometto, Shawn Donnelly
This book compares the different expressions of, and outcomes from, banking nationalism in two European countries to draw wider conclusions about the consequences for Banking Union in Europe and to show how national governments deal (or fail to deal) with international commitments.
The Politics of Legitimation in the European Union
Christopher Lord, Peter Bursens, Dirk De Bièvre, Jarle Trondal, Ramses A. Wessel
This book examines and investigates the legitimacy of the European Union by acknowledging the importance of variation across actors, institutions, audiences, and context.
The Choice for Banking Union
Elena Ríos Camacho
This book explains why the European Union member states – in response to the Euro crisis – agreed to establish banking union, despite previous objections, and why they chose its hybrid institutional design.
This comparative book analyses the development of regional integration parliaments in three different continents of the world.
This book shows how the EU’s dual sovereignty–legitimacy problem can be resolved through the political concept of European citizenship, which can serve both to define the scope of European sovereignty and to justify EU power beyond national democracy.
Financial Accountability in the European Union
Paul Stephenson, María-Luisa Sánchez-Barrueco, Hartmut Aden
This book offers comprehensive coverage of various aspects of financial accountability around the EU budget.
This book provides a timely evaluation of the EU’s ability to act internationally and coordinate policy in a time when it also seeks to meet shifting demands of international cooperation.
Assessing the 2019 European Parliament Elections
Sylvia Kritzinger, Carolina Plescia, Kolja Raube, James Wilhelm, Jan Wouters
Informed by and against the backdrop of the 2019 European Parliament (EP) elections, this innovative book provides a critical assessment of where Europe stands in terms of the quest to achieve democratic legitimacy.
Differentiated Integration and Disintegration in a Post-Brexit Era
Stefan Gaenzle, Benjamin Leruth, Jarle Trondal
Assessing the consequences of Brexit on EU policies, institutions and members, this book discusses the significance of differentiation for the future of European integration.
It brings together lawyers and political scientists from Europe and Asia in an interdisciplinary effort at tracing the respective roles of law and diplomacy in the relations of the European Union (EU) with its trade and investment partners in Asia.
This volume focuses on the aftermath of the euro crisis and whether the reforms have brought about lasting changes to the economic and political structures of the crisis countries or if the changes were short-term and easily abandoned post-bailout and post-recovery.
Refugees, Security and the European Union
Sarah Léonard, Christian Kaunert
This book analyses the extent and the modalities of the securitization of asylum-seekers and refugees in the EU.
Changing Borders in Europe
Jacint Jordana, Michael Keating, Axel Marx, Jan Wouters
Changing Borders in Europe focuses on the territorial dimension of the European Union. It examines the transformation of state sovereignty within the EU, the emergence of varied self-determination claims, and the existence of a tailor-made architecture of functional borders, established by multiple agreements.
The Informal Construction of Europe
Lennaert van Heumen, Mechthild Roos
Informal dimensions of European integration have received limited academic attention to date, despite their historical and contemporary importance. Particularly studies in European integration history, while frequently mentioning informal processes, have as yet rarely conceptualised the study of informality in European integration, and thus fail usually to systematically analyse conditions, impact and consequences of informal action.
This book explains the conditions under which political parties in government were able to influence economic growth in post-communist European countries. It highlights higher education and international investment as the two essentially related areas that have been steered by governments.
This book sits at the intersection of three main interrelated themes - EU citizenship, the current state of the university in Europe, and student mobility - as they play out in the context of an EU funded programme established not least to promote European identity, European consciousness and European citizenship.
Competitiveness and Solidarity in the European Union
Paolo Chiochetti, Frédéric Allemand
This edited book carries out a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and innovative analysis of the relationship between competitiveness and solidarity in the contemporary European Union. It offers an original contribution to the scholarly debates on the current developments and challenges of welfare states, social and economic policies, and forms of governance in the European Union.
The Democratisation of EU International Relations Through EU Law
Juan Santos Vara, Soledad Rodríguez Sánchez-Tabernero
Since the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, key improvements have occurred in the democratisation of EU international relations through the increased powers of the European Parliament. Nevertheless, a comprehensive legal analysis of the new developments in democratic control of EU external action has not yet been performed.
The European Union (EU) is at the forefront of engaging in external trade relations outside of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with entire regions and economic powerhouses. Understanding why and how the EU engages in one of the most active fields of external relations is crucial.
EU Human Rights and Democratization Policies
Felipe Gómez Isa, Cristina Churruca Muguruza, Jan Wouters
Though the EU has tried to place human rights and democracy at the heart of its external action, there are serious concerns about its capacity to have a significant impact on the situation of human rights and human rights defenders as well as on the democratization processes taking place in different regions of the world.
This book examines the politics of Banking Union and EMU reform in the EU, and draws lessons for what it means for international politics, both in Europe, and for international relations more broadly. It demonstrates that most of the reforms in Europe to break free of the Eurozone and banking crises in which Europe continues to find itself focus on building up the capacities of national authorities rather than European ones.
The creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s new diplomatic body, was accompanied by high expectations for improving the way Europe would deal with foreign policy. However, observers of its first years of operation have come to the opposite conclusion.
The Dynamics of EU External Energy Relations examines the behaviour of the European Commission in EU external energy relations paying particular attention to the dynamics existing between the Commission and the member states. It examines the Commission as a constrained policy-entrepreneur trying to expand its power, budget and competences, yet frustrated by member states protective of their national sovereignty.
Claiming Citizenship Rights in Europe
Daniele Archibugi, Ali Emre Benli
While the European integration project is facing new challenges, abandonments and criticism, it is often forgotten that there are powerful legal instruments that allow citizens to protect and extend their rights. These instruments and the actions taken to activate them are often overlooked and deliberately ignored in the mainstream debates.