The European Commission is a detailed and comprehensive guide to the workings of the European Commission. This straightforward and accessible new title de-mystifies procedures, practices and policies, which, up until now, have been perceived by many as baffling and oblique.Written in a style that is both uncomplicated and user-friendly, the authors equip readers with all the information about the background of the Commission; its administrative structure; its policies; external relations; and general and internal services.Packed with numerous handy tables and figures, The European Commission will serve to help readers to gain a full understanding of how the machinery of the Commission functions and how the daily work processes are carried out. This is both an essential and fascinating handbook for all those working in the political arena.

The increasing complexity, interdependence and acceleration of global developments, digital media and the growing share of global public goods, have all contributed to the publicitisation, sectoralisation and summitization of foreign policy worldwide. In this context, the Lisbon Treaty since 2009 has substantially changed the foreign policy organisation and functioning of the European Union. Of all the 20 foreign policy innovations included in the new treaty designed to improve the effectiveness of the Union's foreign policy, the most visible was the creation and progressive development of the European External Action Service. This lecture addresses the efficiency of this core foreign policy area which is being tested by the 21st century's tectonic shift in geo-economics, including the current sovereign debt crisis in the euro-zone.