Handbook on the European Union [antikvár]

Introduction17INTRODUCTIONIt gives me great pleasure to recommend this third English edition of the Handbook on the European Union by Zoltán Horváth. This clearly-structured, infonnative, technical and eminently readable work is one of the most popular titles on the EU in Hungary, and has become a key textbook at several universities and colleges. The Handbook has reached its seventh edition in Hungarian, and tens of thousands of copies have been published, helping civil servants, entrepreneurs and students to become acquainted with the European Union. Former editions were also translated into English, French and Slovak with - among others - the help of the European Commission, and proved to be an instant success in several EU Member States. This seventh edition, whose text was completed in July 2007, is being published simultaneously in Hungarian, English and French in an identical layout, which must be an unprecedented feat for a specialised volume on the EU.This book owes much of its success to the fact that it evolves together with the European Union, keeping its readers abreast of the latest changes in Europe's architecture. One would be hard pressed to find many volumes that follow the EU's development so closely, with subsequent editions published so frequently. To illustrate how up-to-date it is, let it suffice to note that it analyses in detail the Reform Treaty, which is expected to enter into force in 2009.The Handbook's enormous stock of knowledge is not only useful but essential for any present and future Union citizen seeking to make conscious decisions on EU-related matters. Economic and legal experts, civil servants and businessmen would be well advised to keep a copy of the Handbook within reach on their desk. It is also a useful volume for students as well as their teachers, whatever their field of specialisation, as European integration encompasses all areas of life. The Handbook should be particularly helpful for citizens of new and future EU Member States due to its special focus on enlargement, which includes analyses of the key elements required for successful accession and explains how to make the most of EU membership.The European Union is often accused of being an opaque, bureaucratic organisation. I am convinced that those who want to learn more about the European Union (its functioning, institutional set-up, decision-making and legal systems), and discover why