Lisbon treaty a legal and political analysis

Includes bibliographical references (p. 398-403) and index.

The process that led to the establishment of the European Union -- The 2002-2003 European Convention and the 2004 constitutional treaty and its failed ratification -- From the constitutional treaty to the Lisbon Treaty -- The difficult ratification of the Lisbon Treaty -- The structure of the Lisbon Treaty -- Values and objectives -- Delimitation and clarification of the EU competences -- Basic principles -- The legal personality of the EU -- Variable geometry -- Legislative and non-legislative procedures and acts -- Procedures for the revision of the treaties -- Withdrawal of a member state from the EU -- The European parliament -- The national parliaments -- The citizens' initiative and other possibilities for the citizens to influence decisions of the EU -- The judgment of 30 June 2009 of the German constitutional court and the issue of the democratic legitimacy of the EU -- The origins of the EU Charter of fundamental rights -- The Charter of fundamental rights as referred to in the Lisbon Treaty -- The protocol on the application of the Charter to Poland and the United Kingdom -- The accession of the EU to the European Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms -- A short history of justice and home affairs in the EU -- The abolition of the third pillar and the other changes made by the Lisbon Treaty -- Variable geometry in the area of freedom, security, and justice -- The European Council -- The Council -- The Commission -- The Court of Justice -- Changes to other institutions and bodies -- Relations between institutions and the interinstitutional balance -- External affairs before the Lisbon Treaty -- The high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy -- The European external action service -- The common foreign and security policy -- Security and defence -- Other sectors of external affairs, including trade policy -- The EU budget -- European monetary union and the Euro zone -- The internal market and free competition -- Social policy -- Services of general interest -- Agriculture, energy, health and other internal affairs.