The European Council

Preface: The Fascination and Frustration of Studying a Key Institution
Part I: The European Council: Introduction, History, and Analytical Perspectives
1. Introduction: The Many Faces of the European Council
2. The European Council: Historical Paths Towards Institutionalised Summitry
3. The Growth of the European Council: Generations of Leaders and Institutional Trajectory
4. Multiple Approaches for Understanding a Contested Institution: Three Models
Part II: Activities, Agreements, and Acts
5. Deepening: The Constitutional Architect
6. Widening: The Master of Membership
7. Economic Governance: Towards a 'gouvernement économique'?
8. External Action: In Search of a Coherent and Effective Global Role
9. The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: Exercising Pre-Legislative Functions
Part III: Inside the European Council: The Dynamics of Decision-Making
10. The Presidency: Charismatic Master or Facilitating Manager?
11. Rules for Organisation: The Search for an Optimal Institutional Arrangement
12. Decision-Making: The Ways to Compromises and Consensus
Part IV: The Role of the European Council within the EU Architecture
13. Political and Procedural Steering: General Functions and Specific Powers
14. Towards an Institutional (Im)Balance? Trends in Interinstitutional Relations
Part V: Conclusions and Outlook: A Key Institution's Rise - and Decline?
15. The European Council: The Union's Key Crisis Manager
16. Perspectives of an Institution: Looking Back to Look Forward
Appendix: Sources
Bibliography
Index