This page describes the Library's collections of European Union official documentation, and related collections of books, journals, electronic information and databases. The page gives you advice on how to find and use publications from and about the European Union.
Collection overview
The British Library has a wealth of documentation about the European Union and its member states. This includes books and journals in nearly all European languages, and from all member states of the EU. In addition, as a European Documentation Centre (EDC) the Library holds a comprehensive collection of official publications from the EU. In addition to print collections, you can access EU databases, portals and other electronic resources.
Our Social Science Reading Room has large collections of recent publications relating to the EU. You can find official publications of the EU, held as part of our EDC collection. There is an open access collection of books published in the UK in the last four years. This includes studies of the EU as an organisation (eg relating to social, economic, political, or international relations policies of the EU, EU enlargement) or studies conducted across EU member states. The open access journals include titles such as Journal of Common Market Studies, EU Focus, and European Constitutional Law Review.
Use our collections to conduct research that crosses geographic boundaries, and that explores European studies from a wide range of subject disciplines.
Finding aids
- Explore the British Library to find details of books, reports, journal titles, newspapers and many more parts of the Library’s collections. However, tracing official documents is complex, and many are not individually catalogued. Use the guides listed below to help identify official documents in our collections and on the web
- Guide to European Union collections at the Library
- European Union information available online, a list of resources accessible from your computer without charge
- International Organizations e-resources, a list of electronic resources which you can access from our Reading Room
- Search or browse the EU Book Shop, and EU Documents to access EU publications and European Commission documents online
- Osvaldo Croci's online European Union Bibliography
For an introduction to the EU, see the Easy Reading Corner and the EU at a glance
Further information
Social Sciences Reference Service
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7894
Fax: +44 (0)20 7412 7761
E-mail: Ask the Reference Team
