At the Heart of the Union

'...a fascinating and impressive overview of different approaches and research directions on the Commission and makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of this institution.' - Ulrich Sedelmeier, Regional Studies '...an important addition...this is an excellent book which could be very useful for students of European integration but also for policy practitioners.' - Christian Lequesne, West European Politics 'This is an excellent book. At a time when reform of EU institutions is high on the EU agenda, such a high quality and detailed examination of the Commission is very welcome indeed...'. - John Redmond, Political Studies 'It is a treasure-trove of essays on all aspects of the Commission... this is an excellent book...'. Stephen George, University Association for Contemporary European Studies book reviews

Neill Nugent is Emeritus Professor of Politics at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He has published widely on the European Union and in 2013 was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in Contemporary European Studies by the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES), 2013.

Preface List of Abbreviations Notes on the Contributors Introduction: At the Heart of the Union; N.Nugent European Commissioners 1952-1995: National Routes to a European Elite; A.Macmullen Identities in the European Commission; M.McDonald Administrative Culture in the European Commission: The Cases of Competition and Environment; M.Cini A House with Differing Views: The European Commission and Cohesion Policy; L.Hooghe The Commission as an Agent; M.A.Pollack Uniting European Industrial Policy: A Commission Agenda for Integration; T.C.Lawton Safeguarding the Economic Constitution: The Commission and Competition Policy; L.McGowan The Commission Made Me Do It: The European Commission as a Strategic Asset in Domestic Politics; M.P.Smith The Commission and Implementation in the European Union: Is there an Implementation Deficit and Why?; B.Guy Peters Managing the Managers: the Commission's Role in the Implementation of Spending Programmes; R.Levy The European Commission and the Politics of Legitimacy in the European Union; H.Drake The Commission and the Intergovernmental Conferences; D.Dinan The Role of the Commission: A Theoretical Discussion; J.H.Matlary Conclusions: Themes and Prospects; N.Nugent Annex: Directorates General and Special Units of the Commission References Index