How can the law of the European Union be most effectively taught in the face of the EU's current upheavals? With this new book a team of specialists provide a comprehensive survey of EU law, placing it in its social, political and economic contexts. The book's innovative approach, coupled with a stimulating and accessible writing style, allows the student to engage fully with the material. The book charts the development of the European Union from its inception to the present day by exploring in detail the EU's institutions, its law- making, its administrative processes and its substantive law. Crucially, it incorporates recent key developments, such as the crisis over the Constitutional Treaty and the consequences of its apparent 'failure', as well as issues arising from an enlarged Europe. With cases and materials integrated throughout the text and recommended reading sections accompanying each chapter, this is essential reading for all European law students at undergraduate or postgraduate level.