Georgetown Law
Georgetown Law Library

European Union Research Guide

This guide provides information on the European Union and how to navigate among EU documents.

Treatises

After you’ve looked at a research guide or two, you may want to take a more in-depth look at the EU. These treatises will go a bit deeper into aspects of the EU than the research guides listed above. This is not an exhaustive list; you can find additional materials by searching the library catalog.

  • The ABC of European Union Law, Klaus-Dieter Borchardt INTL KJE947 .B67 2010
    This book was written for lawyers and academics with a legal research background. It lays out some of the more notable treaties that the EU has entered into as well as the different institutions within the EU and how they interact with one another as well as the member states which comprise the EU.
  • Cases and Materials on EU Law (8th ed.), Stephen Weatherill INTL KJE945 .W43 2012
    This casebook focuses primarily on the judicial institutions of the EU, especially as they relate to trade and competition law.
  • A Critical Introduction to European Law (2nd ed.), Ian Ward INTL KJE947 .W37 2003
    A leading academic commentary on European law. Among the various sections of this book are included chapters on EU social policy and Human Rights.
  • European Constitutional Law (3rd ed.), Robert Schütze INTL KJE4445 .S348 2021
    This book analyzes the post-Lisbon constitutional law of the European Union. It looks at the EU’s history and structure, considers the powers and procedures associated with each of its branches, and offers a discussion of the rights and remedies of European citizens.
  • European Union Law Including Brexit and Beyond in a Nutshell (10th ed.), Ralph Folsom KJE949 .F55 2021; also available electronically
    Like other books in the Nutshell series, this one offers a brief amount of information regarding many aspects of the EU (institutions, policies, cases, treaties, etc.). This is a good resource to start with; it can aid the user in finding cases and other forms of primary law to further examine. 
  • The Foundations of European Community Law: An Introduction to the Constitutional and Administrative Law of the European Community (6th ed.), Trevor C. Hartley INTL KJE947 .H37 2007
    This text is used by students and practitioners alike. It focuses on the constitutional and administrative law of the EU, with a new section that addresses the process of admitting new member states added in this edition. This volume also discusses some case law and examines the remedies offered by both the European Court and the Court of First Instance.
  • A Guide to European Union Law (10th ed.), P.S.R.F. Mathijsen INTL KJE947 .M38 2010
    This is another work that can be used by both students and practitioners for reference. This volume covers the various EU institutions and bodies, as well as offering references to primary sources of law within the text. It also analyzes some of the more prominent substantive law.
  • How the European Union Works: Your Guide to the EU Institutions (2020 ed.), available electronically (Europa.eu)
    This brief guide (44 pages) published by the European Commission is a quick reference to EU institutions. One section that may be of particular interest to researchers is the section on the European Ombudsman, who acts as an intermediary between citizens and the EU institutions with which they lodge complaints.
  • Rudden and Wyatt’s EU Treaties and Legislation (9th ed.), Bernard Rudden & Derrick Wyatt INTL KJE916 .B37 2004
    This work offers key treaties and legislation from the EU without any additional author commentary. It offers a separate section on sources within the UK.
  • Smit & Herzog on the Law of the European Union, Hans Smit, Peter Herzog, Christian Campbell & Gudrun Zagel, available electronically
    This looseleaf—which has not been updated in print since 2008—is now available and regularly updated on Lexis.
  •  The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms (6th ed.), Catherine Barnard INTL KJE947 .B372 2022
    This work focuses primarily on trade and movement of goods and people within the EU. It also discusses the EU single market and regulation of the internal market. It discusses some case law and includes as diagrams and flowcharts to clarify what is an otherwise confusing and complex topic within the EU.
  • Wyatt and Dashwood's European Union Law (6th ed.), Alan Dashwood & Derrick Wyatt INTL KJE947 .W92 2011
    This seven-volume work examines the history of the EU, EU institutions, fundamental rights, the judiciary, the internal market, competition law, and security. It offers selections from primary documents (such as treaties) with analysis.
  • Independence and Legitimacy in the Institutional System of the European Union, Dominique Ritleng ed. JN30 .I466 2016; also available electronically
    This volume analyzes the legitimacy of the European Union by examining its various committees and sub-bodies. Each chapter is written by a different leading scholar of the EU.