Guide last updated by Katherine Read, November 2023
This guide was created by Katherine Read, Principal Library Assistant at the IALS Library.
Email katherine.read@sas.ac.uk
We'd love to hear your comments about this Research Guide.
Email ials@sas.ac.uk
This guide aims to give a brief introduction to the Library's holdings on European Union Law. Please consult the Library Catalogue for complete information on current titles and locations. If you require further assistance please contact us.
Monday-Friday 9:30-17:00
Tel (0)20 7862 5790
Email ials@sas.ac.uk
This Subject Guide only lists a selection of Library resources on European Union Law. To find additional resources you will need to search the Library Catalogue, which covers the complete holdings of the Library. It is possible to search for books, journals and series of law reports by author, title or keyword. Please note it is not possible to search for individual chapters, journal articles or legislation (e.g. individual Acts or SIs).
IALS Library is mainly open access and readers are able to browse the shelves in the main collection. There are two main exceptions to this:
Please request these at the Library Enquiry Desk.
For more information on understanding the catalogue record and further guidance on the location of materials please refer to our guide Classmarks and the Location of Resources in the Library.
The Library classifies textbooks either by jurisdiction (GO13, GA2 etc.) or according to subject area, examples of which include Comparative Law (SB), Public International Law (SG) and Private International Law/ Conflict of Laws (SH).
All classmark sections have a FOL section for oversize volumes, which is located on the same floor of the Library.
When you are searching the Library Catalogue for books, please note that only the current edition is held on the open shelves or in the Short Loan collection. IALS has a rich collection of previous editions held in the closed basement and these will display a Depository number on the catalogue. Please request previous editions from the Enquiry Desk.
European Union Law material is shelved at GO1.A1
The following list represents a selection of textbooks on European Union Law. Please check the catalogue records for further information and location. Titles marked as e-books may also be available in print. Access from home requires your IALS library barcode and your family name. E books with 'open access' status on the catalogue are available to all users of this guide.
Austoos, J. The right to erasure in EU data protection law OUP 2020 (e-book)
Barnard, C. Substantive law of the EU: the four freedoms 5th ed. 2019
Blackstone’s UK and EU competition documents 8th ed. 2015
Blackstone’s EU treaties & legislation 33rd ed. 2022
Cameron, P. & Heffron, R. Legal aspects of EU energy regulation: the consolidation of EU energy regulation across Europe. 2nd ed. 2016
Chalmers, D. European Union law text cases and materials 3rd ed. 2014
Craig, P. & De Burca, G. The evolution of EU law 2nd ed. 2011
Craig, P. UK, EU and global administrative law 2015 CUP (e-book)
Craig, P. EU administrative law 3rd ed. 2018
Craig, P. & De Burca, G. EU law: text, cases and materials 7th ed. 2020
Dawson, M. Governance of EU fundamental rights. 2017 CUP (e-book)
Eeckhout, P. EU external relations law 2nd ed. 2011 OUP (e-book)
Eleutheriades, P. A union of peoples 2020 OUP (e-book)
Hartley, T. The foundations of European Union law: an introduction to the constitutional and administrative law of the European Union 8th ed. 2014
Hofmann, H. et al Administrative law and policy of the European Union 2011
Krämer, L. EU Environmental law 8th ed. 2015
Lasok, K. Lasok's European Court practice and procedure 4th ed. 2022
Lindsay, A. & Berridge, A. The EU merger regulation: substantive issues 5th ed. 2017
Mancano, L. The European Union and deprivation of liberty: a legislative and judicial analysis from the perspective of the individual Hart 2019
Moloney, N. EU securities and financial markets regulation 4th ed. 2023 OUP
Nihoul, Paul & Rodford, P. EU electronic telecommunications law 2nd ed. 2011
Peers, S. EU justice and home affairs law 4th ed. 2016 OUP (e-book)
Peers, S. and others EU charter of fundamental rights Hart 2021 (e-book)
Phelan, W. Great judgments of the European Court of Justice : rethinking the landmark decisions of the foundational period CUP 2019 (e-book)
Steiner, J. & Woods, L. Steiner & Woods EU law 14th ed. 2020
Walter, M. & Von Lewinsky, S. European copyright law. A commentary 2010
Weatherill, S. Cases and materials on EU law 12th ed. 2016
Dashwood, A. et al. Wyatt & Dashwood’s European Union law 6th ed. 2011
IALS Library holds a wide selection of current serial titles on European Union Law from many different jurisdictions. These are located on all floors of the Library. Some titles are only in printed volumes while others or available in both formats. For more detailed help, please refer to the guide on Finding journal articles. The following titles focus particularly on European Union Law but there may be relevant articles in less specialised journals.
Court of Justice of the European Union. Reports of Cases before the Court See Eur-Lex
EC Tax Review (online only post 2009)
European Business Organization Law Review
European Union treaty series (HMSO)
European Competition Law Review
European Constitutional Law Review
European Court Reports - See Eur-Lex
European Human Rights Law Review
European Law Review (online only post 2012)
Official Journal of the European Union C series See Eur-Lex
Official Journal of the European Union L Series See Eur-Lex.
Official Journal of the European Union. special edition, 2nd series (in force 1973) See Eur-Lex.
Primary legislation
The treaties establishing the EC, other amending treaties, acts of accession, and the Treaty on European Union constitute the primary legislation for the EU. .
Secondary legislation
A number of different instruments constitute the secondary legislation of the EU. These include:
Directives - to be implemented by law of each member state.
Regulations - automatically law in each member state.
Decisions - binding to those to whom they are addressed.
Recommendations and Opinions - not binding.
Such secondary legislation is published in the Official Journal of the European Union
Official Journal of the European Union (OJ)
" L " series (Legislation) FOL GO1.A1.E(a)1 (Eur-Lex post 2013)
This series lists secondary legislation divided into regulations ("whose publication is obligatory") and directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions ("whose publication is not obligatory").
" C " series (Information and Notices - Communications) FOL GO1.A1.E(a)1 (Eur-Lex post 2013)
This series contains texts of resolutions adopted by the European Parliament, minutes of proceedings of the European Parliament, parliamentary questions and answers, judgments of the Court of Justice, draft legislation, and opinions of the Economic and Social Committee and of the Court of Auditors.
Commission Documents (COM documents)
COM documents publish the EU Commission's official views on Union matters. They include: the Commission's proposals for legislation, views on general policy, annual reports from various bodies and reports on the implementation of policy. Each document is given a unique number e.g. COM (93) 213 final - indicating that this is the final draft of a Commission document no. 213 for 1993. Draft documents are not normally distributed to the general public.
To trace COM docs on a particular subject use EUR-Lex http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm
Court of Justice of the European Union
The Court of Justice or European Court of Justice, in Luxembourg ensures that EU law is observed in each member state, and passes judgments on the interpretation of EU law. Law reports of cases before this Court were published in:
European Court Reports ECR (until 2014 with cases heard up to December 2011)
Case decisions from 2012- are only available electronically on Eur-Lex at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/collection/eu-law/eu-case-law.html
General Court (known as the Court of First Instance until December 2009)
This Court began operating in 1989. Law reports of cases before this court were published in:
European Court Reports Part II until the ECR ceased printed publication.
The Civil Service Tribunal was established in 2004 and hears actions brought by EU employees. Published in ECR Staff cases (online only from 2010 cases)
Academic users may also use databases like Lexis/Westlaw to find EU sources. For further information please refer to the IALS Law Databases or ask at the Library Enquiry Desk.
Eagle-i is an internet portal maintained and updated by IALS library staff. It allows you to search for quality web resources on European Union Law.
The following represent a sample of the available quality individual web resources on European Union Law.
Council of the European Union
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/home/
Eur-lex gives access to a wide range of EU legislation and case law in the EU languages. For a fuller description, please see http://eur-lex.europa.eu/content/welcome/about.html
European Banking Authority. Established January 2011
European E-Justice Portal
https://e-justice.europa.eu/home.do
European Parliament. Legislative Observatory
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/home/home.do
For a more detailed research guide to EU law, please refer to