Written by a former European Commission adviser, this annually revised title is the abridged version of Access to European Union and aspires to being a textbook for any student of European integration. The publication is divided into six parts and, thanks to its clear and systematic approach, clarifies the functioning of the European institutions and explains EU initiatives, legal provisions and economic programmes.

The Guide contains over 1000 exact references to key Community legal texts and more than 250 bibliographic references. Discussion topics are also proposed at the end of each chapter.