Bücher der Reihe Oxford Studies in European Law

The European legal system was not always as effective as it is now at influencing state behaviour and compelling compliance. This book explains why national courts took on a role enforcing European law against their governments, and why governments accepted a change that compromised sovereignty.

How open should the Union's decision-making be? What is the right balance between accountability and efficiency? Does the Union now need a formal constitution? How can respect for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law in the Union best be ensured? These are just some of the questions explored in this book.

The EU's human rights policies are plagued by double standards: it applies radically different approaches in its external and internal operations. In this book, Andrew Williams reveals the nature and scope of this bifurcation and the resultant discrimination, and argues that the ironical condition revealed undermines both the EU's commitment to human rights and its moral credibility.

The first account of the relationship between religion and the constitutional order of the EU, dealing with the key questions of religious freedom and the institutional role of religion and addressing the issues that are at the centre of public debate in Europe, such as the compatibility of Islam with European models of liberal democracy.