National champions are firms promoted by governments to defend the national interest in the international market. This text looks at how European national champions have fared under the pressure of European integration and in an increasingly competitive wo

A unique investigation of the relationship between the Union and member states that is empirically-based and theoretically reflective. It uses insights from a number of perspectives to assess the impact of the EU on the ability of member states to chose and implement their goals.

The foundation of the European Union was one of the most important historical events in the second half of the 20th century. In order to fully appreciate the modern state of the EU, it is crucial to understand the history of European integration. This accessible overview differs from other studies in its focus on the major roles played by both the United States and European multinational corporations in the development of the European Union. Chronologically written and drawing on new findings from two major archives (the archives of the US State Department and Archive of European Integration), this book sheds crucial new light on the integration process. The History of European Integration offers a major contribution to our understanding of Europe’s postwar history, and will be essential reading for any student of postwar European History, Contemporary History, European Politics and European Studies.

The book presents a theoretically informed typology of modes of governance which is tested in a careful selection of comparative country and policy studies. At the core is the question whether the European Union is destined to a network type of governance and whether and how this type of governance will be translated into the member states. The individual chapters subject the governing patterns at European and national level to empirical scrutiny. Drawing on recent research findings in different issue areas - including monetary union, social affairs, environment, genetic engineering and market liberalisation in transport, banking, energy, professional services - the contributions highlight the impact of the European activities on policy-making process in the member states.

Fully revised and updated, this new edition of an already well-established text is easy to use, engagingly written and contains a wealth of pedagogical features. Exploring the European business environment; paying particular attention to the role of member states and how Europe interacts with the rest of the world, the authors examine what is unique about the European business environment – integration - how it has affected the strategy and behaviour of businesses with a European presence. New to this edition is: new material on the single European market, the single currency and related policy issues issues not dealt with elsewhere such as the European consumer, entrepreneurship, sustainability and Europe’s relationship with emerging economies like China an attractive new design and new pedagogical features, including numerous topical case studies to illustrate the themes explored, chapter objectives, discussion questions, boxed supporting information and extensive further reading and resources a companion website to provide extra material for students and lecturers European Business is an essential read for all students of international business. Visit the Companion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415351355

Based on exhaustive research, this book explains how the European Union makes decisions in seven major policy sectors. Written in a clear, user-friendly style, it brings the EU alive for a student and non-specialist audience. The book's central themes are that informal norms often matter more than formal rules, agency often matters more than structure, and abrupt change often punctuates deadlock. It offers a theoretically-based introduction to the lively, humorous and fascinating politics of a unique experiment in modern governance.

Richardson introduces the policy-making processes at work in the EU. This edition has been significantly improved to make it even more accessible for second and third year undergraduates. A website will also support this edition, featuring some of the more technical material such as statistics.