The bestselling "Penguin Companion to European Union" explains the ideas, institutions, personalities and policies that have shaped politics at European level since the Second World War. Its interlocking A to Z entries provide clear, definitive and accessible accounts of the history, role, powers and decision-making processes of the European Union - and other international organizations, such the Council of Europe and NATO - as well as the national and international political contexts in which they operate. In this completely new fourth edition, Anthony Teasdale has updated the whole text and added a series of entries on key developments in recent years - including the drafting and aborted ratification of the European Constitution, the new power balance defined by the Lisbon Treaty, and the politics and economics of the eurozone debt crisis.