This book is designed to be a quick guide to European Union law and explains how it may be used for practical effect. It is written in a clear style for practitioners who are in a hurry to master the subject, and contains precedents of the kinds of documents they may have to prepare. It explains the basic law, the basic concepts, the procedure and the jargon in a way that lawyers new to the subject will find easy to understand. It will give them the answers they need fast. Throughout, there is extensive reference to case law.

The new edition has been revised to take into account the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty, which consolidated and renumbered the articles of the Union Treaty and incorporated the Social Charter. It also covers recent case law and changes to competition law.