The volume provides a first-ever comprehensive account of the concept and the role of the family in EU law from the perspective of various disciplines. It explores the family in EU law from four different angles. The first part of the book considers the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the family in the law in general, including the definition of the family under EU law. The second part provides an overview of the rights conferred upon the family by Union law and assesses whether these cater for the needs of all families. The third part of the book examines the potential conflicts between the definitions of a family and concurring rights as found in the EU legal order, the ECHR, and national laws. Finally, the fourth part offers insights into how EU law deals with some situations of crisis that are faced by families in the EU.This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.