This two-volume textbook teaches about the uniqueness and the difficulty of the European unification project. It describes, as clearly as possible, what Robert Schuman declared in 1950, that ""... Europe will not be made all at once…"". Navigating the nexus of four academic fields - political science, institutional analysis, economics, and history - the book serves as a reference work for accurate, exhaustive, and well-researched information on the creation and functioning of the European Union. Volume 2 provides a comprehensive overview of the European Union's institutions and policies, such as agricultural and fisheries policies, economic and monetary policy, environmental policy, foreign affairs and defence policy, social policy, competition policy, regional policy, as well as immigration and asylum policy. Supported by numerous photographs, diagrams, maps, and sources, the book will serve as an essential textbook for undergraduate and graduate students studying the subject of European integration, as well as a useful resource for a broader audience interested in the European integration process.
Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Theoretical Perspectives on European Integration and its Evolutionary Trajectory.- Chapter 3. The Institutions of the European Union and the Legislative Procedures.- Chapter 4. The Perception of 'Democratic Deficit' in the European Union.- Chapter 5. The Budget of the European Union and the Underpinning of Union’s Policies.- Chapter 6. The Common Agricultural Policy: Purpose, Evolution, and Future Projections.- Chapter 7. Regional Policy: Disparities, Development, and Future Direction.- Chapter 8. Economic and Monetary Policy: Origin, Evolution, and Current Challenges.- Chapter 9. Foreign and Defence Policy: Historical Developments and Contemporary Challenges.- Chapter 10. Social Policy: Evolution, Impact, and Current Challenges.- Chapter 11. Environmental Policy: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions.- Chapter 12. Migration Policy: Historical Progress, Current Status, and Future Directions.- Chapter 13. Overview: The European Integration, Volume I & Volume II.
Panagiotis Liargovas is a Professor of Economics at the University of Peloponnese, Greece. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Centre of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE) and of the National Productivity Board. Liargovas holds a PhD in Economics from Clark University, Worcester MA, USA, and has previously been a Fulbright Scholar, a Bakalas Foundation Scholar, a Teaching Assistant Scholar (Clark University), and a European Commission trainee (Brussels). He has taught at many Universities including Clark University, Bologna University, Italy, and the University of Strasbourg, France. He has served as an economic advisor to the Greek Ministry of Finance, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Municipality of Athens on many occasions. For the period 2013-18, he was the Head of the Parliamentary Budget Office at the Hellenic Parliament. Liargovas specializes in international and European economics, regional economics, and economic development and policy. Christos Papageorgiou is a member of the Laboratory of Data Science and Digital Transformation of the Department of Management Science and Technology of the University of Peloponnese, Greece. He holds a PhD in Professional Studies from Middlesex University, UK, and a PhD in European Economic Integration from the University of Peloponnese. Papageorgiou worked as a manager in private sector units and as a director in a municipal enterprise engaged in European regional programs funding.