"The result of 30 months of negotiation and major political debates in all the member states of the EU, the Treaty of Amsterdam was signed in 1997 and came into effect in 1999. Praised as a triumph of the possible and a breakthrough in major policy areas by some, it has also attracted widespread criticism because of the reforms which have been postponed and the risks of fragmentation it introduces. Whatever its merits and deficiencies, it will have a major impact on the internal development of the EU, its role in international relations and the process of its enlargement to the Central and Eastern European countries. No area of national and European policy-making will be left untouched by the framework set by the Treaty for the development of the Union. Given both its long implications and the complexity of many of its provisions, there is an urgent demand for explanation and analysis of the place of the Treaty in the process of European integration." "In this book, a team of authors comprising practitioners - many of them involved in the negotiations - and distinguished academic experts provide such coverage. They examine the progress made and the deficits left by the Treaty in key policy areas and in the institutional system of the EU. They also look at its future development: in particular, the challenges posed by the next enlargement, the incomplete reform of the institutional system and the risks of fragmentation."--BOOK JACKET.