'The European Union is a laboratory for policies pursuing a common good beyond the nation. Labareda's excellent book fills not only a gap in the normative literature on the EU but contributes also significantly to the current revival of the concept of the common good by demonstrating how it can guide concrete reforms.'
Rainer Bauböck, Austrian Academy of Sciences

'Labareda (European Commission) proposes various solutions to preserve the essential character of the EU. He seeks to strengthen the EU's institutional framework by establishing a new set of bodies, such as the European Transnational Tax Authority, the European Credit Rating Agency, and the Agency for Fair Trade. He also proposes to remove the unanimity rule, split the legislative responsibilities of the European Commission from its supervisory responsibility, and foster closer ties between the European and national parliaments. Labareda maintains that these reforms should be accompanied by closer bonds of civic friendships through the introduction of a transnational curriculum on EU citizenship. This book presents thoughtful ideas on how to improve the European common good in the face of numerous challenges.'
-- P. Kurzer, University of Arizona
CHOICE: Recommended. Graduate students and faculty.

Introduction: Acting and thinking for the common good in the European Union
1 What is the common good?
2 Understanding EU values
3 National interests versus the common good: A way forward for the European Union
4 EU institutions for the common good
5 Building civic friendship in the European Union
Conclusion