Introduction

Abstract

The chapters of this book address the external and international dimensions of the European legal framework for services of general interest which are often overlooked in the debates about public service in Europe. The questions raised in this context are analysed from three different angles: The chapters in Part I of the book approach the special nature of services of general interest from the perspective of the different dimensions of international economic law including international trade, procurement, investment and competition law. Part II then turns to the EU’s external policy dimension and asks if and how the EU pursues its constitutional value of services of general interest in its general external policy as well as in its common commercial and neighbourhood policies. Finally, Part III turns to sector-specific analyses in the fields of telecommunications, energy, water supply and health services. The contributions within this part illustrate and deepen the general discussions of the first two parts of the book.