Herzlich willkommen auf jurawelt.com

Ralf Hansen

Frank Emmert, who is now teaching at the "Concordia International University, Estonia", is well known as a specialist in European Union Law (for example take a look at, Emmert, Europarecht, Munich: C.H. Beck, 1996; available only in German). Although the development of the European Union is deeply influenced by the target of an "ever closer Union", the discussions are unfortunately still marked by more national oriented discourses. Under these circumstances there is every need for a growing transnational discourse on European Community Law, which has a paradigmatic function for the building up of supranational law systems in the future. German lawyers too sometimes are in need to take a look at the English documents of European Community (and Union) law because of troubles with the German translation, official or not official.

So it is very interesting to take a look at the basic textures written in English, available now in this excellent compiled reader. The present volume is thought to provide "advanced students of European integration and all those working with European law in practice with a compact collection of the most important primary and secondary sources of this law..." (so the editor in his short "Introduction"). This book is addressed to law students, lawyers, judges, etc. around the world. In the area of a "World Society", totally absorbed in the development of "Globalization", it is the right time for such a compact edition. For sure it will be a great help in U.S. - courses on European Union law too. It is well known in Europe that U.S. lawyers are very well interested in the further development of the European Union. The growing number of many American internet sites concerning to European law shows this very clearly.

The documents are mainly taken from http://europa.eu.int/index.htm. They all are "consolidated" by the date of June 30 th 1999.

This edition contains all basic documents of the European Union law (including the main Community law). At first, of course, the two treaties (Treaty on European Union; European Community Treaty), shown in Chapter One, which is over titled "The Foundations of an ever closer Union". The protocols annexed to these treaties are also contained. Chapter two brings rules on the procedure of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of the EU. The law of the procedure of the Court of Justice, one of the main forces of law for the European integration, is the object of Chapter three, including the "Advice for Lawyers and Agents Regarding the Written Procedure Before the Court of First Instance".

Although not set on the level of the European Community, the "Convention for Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms" is still included too. No important Directive or Council Regulation concerning the topic of market-integration will be missed in that reader. For sure you will find the basic law documents on "Merger Control" and, of course, everything needed to work on "Labor law and Social Policy". Some basic documents on consumer protection and the protection of the environment are included as well.

But there are some plans to future releases, which should be mentioned here: "On condition that the present volume is well received by the readership, the editor and the publisher are planning to develop a whole range of books with documents, cases, and commentary, covering the law of the European Union, but also other areas of international law, such as the law of the World Trade Organization, international human rights, public international law, etc". We will wait for that with excitement!

A very interesting release, which should be followed by further releases as announced in the "Introduction" of the Editor.