Decision-Making in the European Union

'John Peterson and Elizabeth Bomberg have written the textbook EU instructors on either side of the Atlantic have vainly searched for since the relaunch of European integration in the late 1980s. A superb blend of theoretical breadth and empirical depth, much of it informed by their own research, this exceptional text also just happens to be a joy to read.' - Liesbet Hooghe, University of Toronto 'Students will both understand it and enjoy reading it. Scholars will find it contributes to their own thinking and analysis.' - Alberta Sbragia, University of Pittsburgh 'Makes a major contribution to understanding how policy is actually made in the EU, combining detailed analysis of seven key policy areas with a wide ranging assessment of different levels and types of decision-making.' - Helen Wallace, University of Sussex 'Peterson and Bomberg's work not only deserves a place of honour on every 'Europeanist's' bookshelf, but fits perfectly as a textbook in higher education as well. It offers an accessible...introduction to the policy-making process as a whole.' - Frank Delmartino, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Political Studies 'Decision-Making in the European Union is certainly one of the best textbooks on the EU available.' - Tanja A. Borzel, ECSA Review '[A] scholarly and readable text...[P]resented in a concise and readable way, with excellent use of case studies...this is an excellent book...which makes an intelligent contribution to both the explanation of decision-making and the understanding of the European Union...' - Ian Manners, Journal of Common Market Studies '[A] great textbook, which aptly demonstrates how national, supranational, and subnational actors and institutions combine in the making of European decisions. Its style is clear and user-friendly. Various exhibits of particular policy episodes and focused case-studies of key events...bring the EU alive and do an excellent job of enhancing the reader's understanding of how the EU ticks.' - Tanja A. Borzel, ECSA Review 'Written in a clear and accessible style, the book provides an excellent overview for specialists and non-specialists alike.' - European Information Service

Based on exhaustive research, this book explains how the European Union makes decisions in seven major policy sectors. 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.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.