This book is about the administrative procedures of the European Union, which we see as the ‘super glue’ holding in place the sprawling structures of the EU governance system. The early chapters deal with the structures expansively defined, the diverse functions of administrative procedures in the EU and the values that underpin them, concentrating on the respective contributions of the legislature and administration. A separate chapter deals with the important procedural function of rights protection through the two Community Courts and the contribution of the European Ombudsman. We then turn to ‘horizontal’ or general procedures, dealing with executive law-making, transparency and the regulation of government contracting. A study of Commission enforcement procedure ends the section. ‘Vertical’ or sector-specific studies in significant areas of EU administration follow, including competition policy, cohesion policy (structural funds) and financial services regulation. Separate chapters deal with policing cooperation through Europol and with the interplay of international and EU institutions in the fields of environmental procedure and human rights. The final chapter contains the authors’ reflections on current proposals for codification but ends with a general evaluation of the role and contribution of administrative procedure in the construction of the EU.
