ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the topic, aim, methodological framework and structure of the book. It sets the scene for what this book is about: the evolution of EU police cooperation and the driving factors behind the integration preferences of Member States. The chapter provides a brief overview of and rationale for the relevance and timeliness of analysing this dynamic EU policy domain, which is marked by complexity and parallel processes of differentiation and integration. It also gives an outline of its research approach and the content of the individual chapters that trace and analyse institutional milestones between 1976 and 2022. Finally, this chapter foreshadows the findings of the book's analysis, namely, that differentiated integration matters and is here to stay. More often than not, temporary differentiation or flexible, ‘multi-speed’ models seem to present deliberate strategies for governments to overcome integration obstacles in the short term and advocate the integration of EU police cooperation in the long term.
