Role of Committees in the Policy Process of the European

The book addresses an important and timely aspect of EU affairs and one which, as the authors rightly claim, tends to be neglected in EU studies (perhaps partly because of the complicated nature of the EU committee system, but also because the topic perhaps lacks the glamour of the EU's "big" policy and institutional questions). . . The book therefore is assuredly not simply a "nuts and bolts" exercise in describing what committees do and how they operate, because it also includes sharp insights into their significance for the overall system of governance in the EU. A subject as complicated as this requires clarity of exposition. The various authors succeed in their aims of providing clear treatments on how the committees work in the various EU institutions and also of the overall role of committees in the EU policy and implementation processes. . . This book is an excellent contribution to the literature in EU studies. The authors are to be congratulated on producing a volume of such high quality and one which will undoubtedly enhance readers' knowledge of how EU committees work and of their overall place in EU governance. It deserves to command a high place on the reading lists of courses in EU studies and will also be of considerable value to academic specialists working in this field.