European Union Economics

European Union Economics is the ideal text for students who have not studied this topic before. It requires no specialist knowledge of economics. The new edition continues to favour the economic analysis of public policy over detailed descriptions of EU institutions and history. After a general introduction to the theory of economic integration and the structure and objectives of the EU, there is a review of the problem confronting policy makers, an overview of policy alternatives and actual EU policy as well as a comparison between policy performance and objectives. Boxed material handles some of the more theoretical issues. *Inclusion of analysis of the recent major changes relating to the EU. With three new members (Austria, Finland and Sweden) and a resulting change in European and global trading relationships, much has changed since the last edition in 1993. *A view of world trading blocks which sees the EU in direct competition with other informal and formal trading blocks such as NAFTA and the DAE. *Inclusion of the most recent theoretical insights into developments relating to the EU: for example, the comparison between Free Trade Areas and other forms of integration or the