How does the European Union interact with and contribute to the United Nations? What is its relationship with the International Monetary Fund or the World Trade Organization? When the European Union participates in the international arena, is its position always the same or does it vary depending on the organization with which it is working? In their book, The European Union's Emerging International Identity: Views from the Global Arena, editors Henri de Waele and Jan-Jaap Kuipers have gathered international experts to explore these questions and explain the European Union's role in a number of different international organizations.

In the introductory chapter, the editors provide an overview of the European Union (EU) and the development of its external competencies. They discuss the differing roles of the Union and its member states and look at how the Treaty on European Union has expanded the external focus of the EU. There is a section laying out some of the possible statuses available to the EU in different organizations: full membership, observer, or reliance on member states to advance the EU's position. The chapter proceeds with an explanation of the organization of the rest of the book. Each chapter explores the EU's interaction with a specific international organization. The discussion includes a review of the internal competences that allow the EU to act in the subject area, of the formal status of the EU within that organization, and how that status may have changed over time.

The organizations discussed in the subsequent chapters are the United Nations (UN), NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Council of Europe, the International Labor Organization, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the International Monetary Fund. Following the pattern outlined in the introduction, the chapter authors provide detailed explanations of the structure of the organization and how the EU and its member states play their role within it.

Much of the analysis focuses on the exact nature of the EU's standing with regard to an organization. Because the UN Charter restricts membership to nations, the EU has observer status in many of the UN bodies, including in the General Assembly, where it now has enhanced observer status. However, the Security Council does not allow observers, so in that body the EU must rely on its member states to put forth and support its policies. In contrast, the EU is a member of the WTO, which allows it to fully participate in the organization's activities, including the dispute settlement processes. In addition, some organizations, such as the Hague Conference, have amended their policies over time to allow for membership of regional organizations, which resulted in the EU applying for membership.

Another aspect of the EU's identity is the relationship between the EU as an entity and the member states, which might also be part of the organization as individual countries. Who has the right and/or responsibility to negotiate for or represent the EU varies by organization and at times by subject matter. Within the OECD, in areas where the EU has exclusive competences to act, such as trade, the EU is represented by the Delegation of the European Union. However, in areas where the Union and member states share responsibility, like taxation, both individual member states and the Delegation have the authority to speak.

What is clear from these chapters is that the EU's history and relationship with each organization is unique because the organizations are all different in structure, focus, and expertise. To help pull some of these concepts together, the concluding chapter looks for unifying trends and themes. The conclusions relate back to the status of the EU within the organizations and areas of competence, internal and external, of the Union and its member states. The chapter also considers current developments, such as the sovereign debt crisis and post-Lisbon Treaty implementations, and how these might further impact the Union's international identity.

Published as volume six of Studies in the EU External Relations series, The European Union's Emerging International Identity is an excellent resource for understanding the development and current status of the EU on the international stage. The contributing authors are professors and practitioners with demonstrated expertise. The chapters are well written with clear description and discussion and contain numerous detailed footnotes. The table of abbreviations at the beginning is especially helpful given the prevalence of acronyms throughout the book that change depending on the organization being discussed. The European Union's Emerging International Identity would be a valuable addition to any library with an international law and/ or European Union focused collection.