The European Union in the 1990s - Tapa dura

What is the European Union? This text seeks to answer this question by presenting an overview of the EU: what it now is; how it evolved into its present form; how the sense of identity with its citizens sustains it; and what is the relationship with the outside world which best suits it. Paul Taylor investigates the range of conflicting views on the role of the European Union, is sharply critical of the growth of Euroscepticism and calls for a Federalist approach. He shows that, as the conditions of sovereignty are continually changing in the modern world, further integration does not threaten the nation state. On the contrary, he asserts that integration brings advantages for the citizens in Europe. The author sees the European Union as a unique arrangement between states, beneficial to the majority of individuals without threatening national sovereignty.

Paul Taylor is a specialist in international organization and works in the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics.