Law and Practice of EU External Relations Salient Features of a Changing Landscape

Expanding European Union activity on the international scene has led to development of the legal concepts, principles and rules that govern it. External relations law and practice have also been affected by events within the EU. This volume takes stock of the recent developments in the external relations law and practice of the EC/EU and investigates the increasing interaction between these different fields of Union competence. The first part of this book addresses issues that are broadly constitutional or institutional in character. The second part deals with various aspects of substantive external relations considered in a geographical or geo-political perspective. The third part selects two specific substantive law areas – intellectual property law and environment law – as examples which illustrate the specific relationship between domestic policy and external relations.

• Takes stock of recent development in external relations law of the EC/EU, thus helping to clarify the increasingly complex interaction between the different fields of Union external competence • Analyses the legal frameworks governing the EU’s substantive external relations, thus enhancing understanding of the various frameworks and providing a basis for further comparative analysis • A number of specific bilateral relationships between the EU and third countries are analysed in detail, thus providing insight into EU external relations in practice