The EU is under stress. Many believe in the euro’s demise because they blame it for the 2008 financial crisis and the unwelcome austerity measures. Many resent the immigrants from the new EU member states, threatening the survival of the Single European Market. Many complain of a ‘Brussels diktat’, seeking an escape from joint EU decisions. Several member states want to unilaterally deal with the enhanced competition from the emerging markets, especially China, undermining the EU’s ‘common commercial policy’, run by a single EU commissioner. And many in the UK want its exit from the EU, diluting EU unity and reducing its global influence. These concerns are either misguided or require a stronger EU to deal with them – this book aims to address these issues by considering the nature, importance and future of the European Union.

Ali M. El-Agraa is Emeritus Professor of International Economic Integration at Fukuoka University, Japan. During his career Ali has acted as General Consultant for the Anglo-Japanese Economic Institute, Senior International Consultant for the United Nations and Member of the Committee of the International Economics Study Group, sponsored by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. He has held visiting professorships across the world, in the UK, China, US, Japan and Thailand. Ali was with the University of Leeds during 1971–92 where he was a senior lecturer and a member of both its Senate and Council, as well as the University Advisor to Overseas Students.