Previous editions of the Handbook on the European Union were published in tens of thousands of copies in English, French, Hungarian and Slovak. The European Commission, among others, granted financial assistance to its distribution and translations. It is used as reference volume at several universities and colleges, and is one of the books of first choice for people aspiring to become or already working as officials at EU institutions.The book provides a comprehensive overview of the European Union and its functioning from a political, economic as well as legal perspective, outlining the EU’s institutions, policies and legal and decision-making mechanisms in simple language. It also contains a glossary of 400 terms, which can serve as a compendium on its own.This book owes much of its success to the fact that it evolves together with the European Union, keeping its readers abreast of the latest changes in Europe’s architecture. One would be hard pressed to find many volumes that follo