Since the Treaty of the European Union was ratified in 1993, the European Union has become an important factor in an ever-increasing number of regimes of pooled sovereignty. This Handbook seeks to present a valuable guide to this new and unique system in the twenty-first century, allowing readers to obtain a better understanding of the emerging multilevel European governance system that links national polities to Europe and the global community.

Adopting a pan-European approach, this Handbook brings together the work of leading international academics to cover a wide range of topics such as:

• the historical and theoretical background
• the political systems and institutions of both the EU and its individual member nations
• political parties and party systems
• political elites
• civil society and social movements in European politics
• the political economy of Europe
• public administration and policy-making
• external policies of the EU.

This is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for students, scholars, researchers and practitioners of the European Union, European politics and comparative politics.