Publisher's Synopsis
In order to evaluate the perspectives of deepening and widening of the EU it is necessary to review what happened in the several fields of European integration so far. How did the EC/EU change from its beginnings, and in which respect is the present situation different from the past? Which trends of evolution can be observed, and which factors may influence the future evolution? In this volume, 19 historians from seven countries, all of them well known experts of the field, are balancing the different aspects of the European experience. Based on broad archival research, the volume offers a comprehensive look on the history of European integration and a discussion of the present situation and possible developments in the light of this balance. All chapters were discussed in international teams and written by co-authors from different member states. Thus, they will represent not only the current state of knowledge, but for the first time also a coherent European perspective on the history of European integration. Experiencing Europe is seen as a response to the challenges Europeans have to meet in the 20th and 21st centuries.
