This is the 15th edition of this publication which takes an interdisciplinary approach to explore European integration and the development of the European Union, its institutions, laws and policies. Issues discussed include: European treaties, laws and institutions; stages of integration relating to the Customs Union, the Common Market, EMU and the potential for political union; citizens' rights and participation, cultural policies and consumer issues; as well policies relating to taxation and competition, the environment, regional development, industry and enterprise, research and technology, energy, transport, agriculture, external relations, commercial policy and development aid. Full references to EU official texts are given throughout.

Access to the European Union not only provides a comprehensive overview of European integration, but also offers fresh insight with each revised edition. Thanks to its clear and systematic approach, the book guides the reader through the maze of European Union policies. It throws light upon the European institutions, their raison d'etre, their objectives, and their experience, and it explains EU measures, legal provisions, and economic programs. This 20th edition contains over 2,000 references to the Official Journal of the European Communities and more than 500 bibliographic references, selected by topic so as to help the reader in a deeper study of the subjects of interest.

All litigants before the General Court of the EU (GC), the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) or indeed before any EU body or agency will need to have full access to the documents held by the European Union. Though the legislation regulating the field, Regulation 1049/2001, has been in force for some time, it is a complex field for all would-be litigants. In this book the authors, both experienced practitioners in the area, clearly set out the documentation, access requirements and processes. They include a helpful glossary of terms, tables and appendices setting out the relevant legislation. This will be the seminal text for all practitioners who need to access documentation held by the EU.

The views of rights holders

Access to justice in environmental matters has been a topic for increasing legal discourse and law-making in international, European Community (EC) and national arenas. The 1998 Aarhus Convention provides new norms of international law, inspired by the 1992 Rio Declaration. EC law on access to justice is being drafted and changes can be observed in the laws of the European Union (EU) members states. This timely book presents the state-of-the-art of access to justice in environmental matters in the European Union. It provides a thematic and comparative introduction of the topic, followed by thorough descriptions of EC law and the law of each EU member state. The chapters are written in English or French with a summary in the other language. L'accandegrave;s andegrave; la justice en matiandegrave;re d'environnement a fait l'objet de plus en plus de dandeacute;bats juridiques et de dandeacute;veloppements l'andeacute;gislatifs en droit international, communautaire et national. La Convention d'Aarhus de 1998 dandeacute;finit de nouvelles normes de droit international, faisant suite andagrave; la Dandeacute;claration de Rio de 1992. Le droit communautaire en matiandegrave;re d'accandegrave;s andagrave; la justice est en voie d'andeacute;laboration et dandeacute;jandagrave; des changements peuvent andecirc;tre observandeacute;s dans les lois nationales des andEacute;tats membres de l'Union europandeacute;enne. Cet ouvrage, qui arrive en temps opportun, prandeacute;sente l'andeacute;tat actuel de l'accandegrave;s andagrave; la justice en matiandegrave;re d'environnement dans l'Union europandeacute;anne. Une introduction thandeacute;matique et comparative du sujet est suivie par une description approfondie du droit communautaire et du droit national de chaque andEacute;tat membre de l'Union europandeacute;enne. Les chapitres sont randeacute;digandeacute;s soit en franandccedil;ais soit en anglais, accompagnandeacute;s respectivement d'un randeacute;sumandeacute; dans l'autre langue.