Integration processes taking place in Europe these days have been at the forefront of the world’s attention. An academic discipline that examines this phenomenon has equally been receiving the same extent of interest.

Research centers and institutions devoted to European Studies and integration processes have been functioning in most major countries. Almost all prestigious educational institutions in the world command carefully elaborated curricula on European Union Law.

In the meantime, academic courses focusing on that subject matter have lately been acquiring wider acceptance in Uzbekistan as well. Although a lot of hard work is still to be done, one can acknowledge that the initial fundamental steps are nonetheless being taken.

Starting from 2005, in particular, a course on European Union Law (European Union and Community Law) and the one on European Law have been introduced into academic curricula at the International Law Department, University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, and have so far enjoyed a wide popularity and success. Plans are underway at the UWED to establish a special department, later to become a faculty, dealing with European Union Law.

An academic textbook, written by young outstanding scholar Khaydarali Yunusov, is one of the first important steps towards the mentioned goals. The textbook is primarily intended for those who are interspersed in the integration process of the European Union and for the university students of Uzbekistan. To this end, it is the first textbook that was prepared in Uzbek and presents Uzbek national schools of EU Law with particular interests of Uzbek audience located outside the Union in mind.

It has been constructed upon the knowledge base accumulated by author when studying at higher education institutions in France as a grantee of the UMID Foundation created by Uzbekistan’s President. The textbook reflects the essence of European Union Law, issues of European integration, its institutional system, as well as legal bases of EU-Uzbekistan relations.

Primary sources published in English and French are broadly used in the textbook, incorporating, therefore, the latest changes and amendments in the EU Law. The analysis of the Nice and Athens Treaties that entered into force in 2003-2004 clearly evidence that fact.

Besides, author examined the prospects of new draft a Constitution for European Union that is now in the process of ratification. Surely, such an approach in terms of a very dynamic and easily changing law of integration would add value to this textbook.

On the other hand, author’s attempt to explain the nuances of European Union Law by analyzing and comparing it in correlation with national and international law may be considered as the other positive feature of the textbook.

Additionally, the textbook widely refers to the case law, what is a real novelty for traditional Uzbek Law School. Specific legal problem is explained deriving from the concrete legal fact. With this aim, frequent references to the practice of the European Court of Justice, International Court of Justice and International Courts of Arbitration make the topic very much interesting.

General issues of integration, the forms and stages of integration, historical and ideological basis of the European Union integration, institutional structure and the activities of the main bodies of the Union are explained in detail. Particular attention is given to the role that is played by the European Parliament and national parliaments in decision-making process. Special attention is drawn to the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity that are said to be "golden rules" of the integration.

The academic textbook consists of nine chapters, and is made up of 640 pages in total the annexes. Chapters are interrelated with each other, and at the same time carry independent profound meaning. Each chapter is composed of introduction, main body and short summary as a conclusion. Besides, every chapter starts with jokes and various sayings about the European Union that serves to improve the mood of the reader and raise his interest. This is one more evidence to the fact that entirely new approach was used in preparing the textbook.

Finally, in the annex of the textbook, you can find various statistical information concerning economic and political growth, geographic and demographic figures about the European Union member States, as well as a short chronological order of the process of the European integration.

Besides, the Uzbek translation of Shuman Declaration and the Treaty on the European Union are annexed for the first time and no doubt, it is one more specific feature of this textbook.

The academic textbook is written in accordance with educational standards and in compliance with relevant curriculum of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.

The structure, contain, language, logical order of topics and the richness of the literature used in the textbook fully conform to the academic requirements of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of Uzbekistan.

It is introduced into the curricula of UWED, and has successfully been established as a textbook for such disciplines as EU Law (5th year undergraduates) and European Law (1st year Masters); and is approved and recommended as a academic textbook for the Law faculties students by the decision of the Coordinating Council for the activities of inter-university academic-methodological associations of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of Uzbekistan.

The textbook is suggested to the wide range of readers, specifically to the graduate and post graduate students of higher education, teachers and lecturers of Law institutions and faculties, practical workers and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as of other institutions that specialize in foreign relations and European affairs.