Aspects of Statehood and Institutionalism in Contemporary Europe

Over the last few years the number of sovereign states in Europe has increased dramatically. Yet during this same period many of these states have sought to draw themselves together through a web of complex institutions which, to some, seem to threaten the very existence of the state as the principal unit of the international community. This book seeks to explore some of the legal problems which flow from this tension between statehood and institutionalism in such areas as: the recognition of states; state succession; extra-territorial jurisdiction, the response to the situation in the former Yugoslavia; the imposition of sanctions regimes and the accession of the European Community to international treaty regimes concerned with human rights, the law of the sea and international environmental law. The impact of this tension upon the future direction of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is also considered.