The Ever-Changing Union An Introduction to the History, Institutions and Decision-Making Processes of the European Union CEPS Special Report/January 2009 Christian Egenhofer Sebastian Kurpas Louise van Schaik Abstract The Ever-Changing Union gives a concise overview of the EU’s history, its institutional structures and decision-making processes at the European level. It looks at the fundamental principles of European integration and describes the progress of this integration from its beginnings. The Reader also covers the EU’s main institutions and how they interact in the decision-making process as a whole, offering a comparison between the EU and federalist systems. In addition the basic features of the EU budget are described, as are the key innovations to be introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon. ISBN-13: 978-92-9079-851-4 Available for free downloading from the CEPS website (http://www.ceps.eu) © Christian Egenhofer, Sebastian Kurpas and Louise van Schaik, 2009 Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed are attributable only to the authors in a personal capacity and not to any institution with which they are associated. This publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form for non- profit purposes only and on condition that the source is fully acknowledged. About the Authors Christian Egenhofer is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels and a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe, the LUISS University in Rome and the Solvay Business School in Brussels. E-mail:
[email protected] Sebastian Kurpas is Head of the ‘Politics and Institutions’-section and a Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels.