The Penguin Companion to European Union, 3rd ed.

A welcome new edition of one of the essential books for anyone who wants to know more about the European Union. The Penguin Companion provides an A to Z listing and explanation of terms, personalities, countries, institutions, ideas, policies and theories relating to the European Union and wider integration developments in Europe.

From 'abatement' to 'Zürich Speech', the Companion guides us through terms such as 'Services of general interest', 'convergence criteria', 'Laeken Declaration', 'wider versus deeper' and 'quota hopping', provides illumination on the key EU Institutions and policies, and does not forget that there is more to Europe than the EU, with coverage of bodies such as the Council of Europe, Western European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The new third edition has been completely revised with the inclusion of about sixty new terms and extended cross referencing.

The author states clearly in the preface that the book is a 'Companion' not a 'Dictionary' in that it aims to present not only facts but arguments and analysis too. While this could have been, perhaps, a dangerous strategy in such a reference volume, in reality it turns out to be one of the strong reasons for the success of the title. The author writes in an informed, erudite and entertaining style which makes reading the entries both an education and a pleasure.

Many people - students, the general public, Eurowatchers, practitioners, journalists, lobbyists - will find the volume a perfect companion.

The first edition of the Penguin Companion to European Union won the 'printed sources' category of the European Information Association awards for European information sources in 1995.

• Primary Source