The International Responsibility of the European Union: European and International Perspectives

How is the international responsibility of the European Union determined? In the context of the multilayered and ever-evolving EU legal order, the Lisbon Treaty has introduced considerable changes to the EU's participation in international affairs. These have rendered this thorny question an even more pressing concern, not only for the EU and its Member States, but also for third countries and international organizations. Based on papers delivered at the bi-annual EU/International Law Forum organized by the University of Bristol in May 2011, this volume brings together EU and international law experts to address the various questions raised by the EU's international responsibility. The book discusses horizontal issues, such as the concept of responsibility of international organizations in the evolving international legal order and the different techniques available for determining responsibility. It also focuses on specific policy areas (trade, finance and investment, environment, security and defense, and human rights) by approaching them from both an EU and international law perspective.