GUIDES TO EU/EC MATERIALS

Europa World Yearbook (Closed Reference, 1 East JN1 .E85) This well-known reference book has an excellent overview of the European Union and its current configuration. With all of the recent changes to the EU because of expansion, this is an excellent source for current information.

Thompson, Ian. The Documentation of the European Communities: A Guide. London: Mansell, 1989. (Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1 East, JN15 .T47 1989)

INDEXES

Documents of the European Communities. (Gov. Docs. Reference, 1st floor East, EC P976d)
Lists the COM documents, EP Reports and CES Opinions and Reports (see below for explanations of these materials) issued that year. There is a classified index, a keyword index, and a numerical index. The numerical index is essential to use as a microfiche finding aid for COM documents issued between 1983 and 1986, all CES Opinions and Reports, and EP Reports issued prior to the 1987.

General Catalogue of Publications. (Gov. Docs. Reference, 1 East, JN26 .E97 also online) The annual publications catalog of the EC, this title lists sales publications issued in a given year. There is a classified index, periodical listing, keyword index, title index, and series index. A cumulated edition covering 1985-94 has been received.

ECLAS is a database of over 350,000 citations to materials on the European Union and European integration. Citations are to books and journal articles from a broad range of sources, so it covers much more than EU pulbications. It also contains links to EU documents online. However, it contains many links to journal articles that the MSU Library does not subscribe to, but must be obtained via interlibrary loan.

GENERAL SOURCES

Official Journal of the European Communities: Debates of the European Parliament. (1998-present available online; also on CD-Rom (Reference. Int'l CDs, JN36 .E976). Current year in paper at Int'l Docs, 3W JN32 O36;1977 - 1997 on EC microfiche, 3 West JN15 .O36; pre-1977 issues at Remote Storage JN15 .O36. Monthly and annual print indexes (1978-2000 in Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1 East, KJE908.2 .I53)

The official gazette of the EC. Once two separate titles, the Official Journal and the Debates combined into one print source in 2000. The Debates of the European Parliament can also be found online as well (back to 1994).

Bulletin of the European Union. (Int'l Docs 3W HC241.2 .A212); also online back to 1996.

The monthly record of EU activities. It lists meetings and subjects discussed, summarizes Parliament and ESC sessions, catalogues Court decisions.

General Report on the Activities of the European Union. (Int'l. Docs. HC241.2 .A17 1994-present; earlier title General report on the activities of the Communities 1968-1994; 1997-present also available online)
This annual report includes a concise outline of major actions, policy developments and activities. There are also statistics on membership, staff and meetings, as well as a summary of the annual budget. Cumulates the information from the Bulletin of the European Union.

European Documentation. (Gov. Docs. EC E90doc)

Substantial (50-80 pages) discussions of various topics. Each issue usually contains a good "Further Reading" section which includes EC documents and publications, as well as non-EC materials.

Working Together: the Institutions of the European Community. (Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1st floor East, EC W926t)

An overview of the Union's institutions is also provided courtesy of EUROPA, the Union's official WWW site.

Review of the Work of the Council. (Gov. Docs. EC A641)

Reports on the Council's formal meetings and decisions, giving Official Journal citations.

COM Documents. (Gov. Docs. EC microfiche 1983 - )

Commission documents contain policy documents and legislative proposals. To locate COM documents issued between 1983-1986, you must first retrieve a microfiche sheet number using the Documents Catalogue (Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1st floor East, EC P976d). COM documents issued after that time are filed by the COM document number.

CES Opinions and Reports. (Gov. Docs. EC microfiche 1984 - ; selected opinions on the WWW)

Opinions and reports of the Economic and Social Committee. To locate CES documents, you must first retrieve a microfiche sheet number using the Documents Catalogue (Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1st floor East, EC P976d).

Bulletin [of the Economic and Social Committee]. (Gov. Docs. EC B936esc; issues from May 1998 on are available via the WWW.)

For each plenary session, summaries are provided of Commission proposals and Committee opinions. Specific references to the OJ, COM Documents and CES Opinions and Reports are given.

Annual Report [of the Economic and Social Committee]. (Gov. Docs. EC A615e)

Information is provided on the presence and influence of the ESC, work of the Committee (broken down into nine subject areas), links with the press and other media, and internal aspects of the Secretariat. A list of opinions, studies and Information Reports issued is included in the Annexes.

EP Reports. (Gov. Docs. EC microfiche 1985 - ; earlier years Gov. Docs. EP W919d; selected Reports from January 1996 on available via WWW)

Reports and documents of the European Parliament. To locate EP Reports prior to 1987, you must first retrieve a microfiche sheet number using the Documents Catalogue (Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1st floor East, EC P976d). EP Reports issued since 1987 are filed by the EP number.

Debates of the European Parliament. (Gov. Docs. EC O32j Annex)

The Debates are issued as annexes to the Official Journal of the European Communities, and are also online back to 1994.

EP News. (Current issues on Gov. Docs. Current Periodicals, 1st floor East; earlier at Oversize EP E90n; also on the WWW)

Monthly newsletter on the Parliament.

Selected Instruments Relating to the Organization, Jurisdiction and Procedure of the Court. (Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1st floor East, ECCJ S464 1990)

Provides excerpts from the Treaties, agreements, protocols, rules, etc. relevant to the operation of the Court of Justice of the European Communities.

Synopsis of the Work of the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance of the European Communities in [year] and Record of Formal Sittings in [year]. (Gov. Docs. ECCJ S992)

Annual publication which provides an overview of the Courts' work. Information is provided on the judicial and administrative functioning of the Courts. A substantial amount of statistical information is included, as well as background information on the judges.

Reports of Cases Before the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance. (Gov. Docs. ECCJ R311j)

A related title, Recent Case-Law of the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance (from June 17, 1997 on), is available in searchable form via the WWW.