ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the way the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have negotiated international agreements in the policy field of internal security. It examines the way the rules of the EU–US agreements were negotiated. The book focuses on the issue-area of internal security. It shows that EU consistency and the relationship between the Commission, the member states, and the European Parliament were important factors in transatlantic relations, for two reasons. First, ensuring the consistency of EU counter-terrorism policies and measures was central to the Commission's calculations on how to showcase the value of the EU to the Americans. Second, the EU's internal consistency affected its bargaining power in the negotiations with the US. The book also considers the conceptual model that combines the power-based, interest-based, and the weak cognitivist approaches to regime formation.
