In the EU public services, utilities and welfare services can be seen as both building blocks for the internal market and as a persistent irritant in the integration process. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the EU law on public services within the context of European integration. It brings together important analysis of the primary Treaty law, mainly on the internal market and competition, and of the secondary legislation at EU level, including different sector specific regimes. Particular attention is given to case law of the EU courts. This will be essential reading for those looking to have a broader understanding of the subject.

'Wolf Sauter offers a refreshing insight into how EU law tackles the key issues relating to public services. Contrary to other works, where public services are often considered merely as exceptions to certain rules, Sauter places public services firmly at the centre of the analysis. The result is a clear and comprehensive piece of work that greatly contributes to our understanding of this complex body of law.'

Jose Luis Buendia Sierra - Garrigues, Brussels

'As a preliminary observation, one may say that Sauter’s approach is remarkable for (at least) three reasons. First, for its scope, as it takes into account not only services of general economic interest … but also social services of general interest such as social security, education and healthcare … Second, the study is instructive due to its comprehensiveness with regard to the fields it covers … Third, Sauter’s approach is remarkable for its didactic way of analysing and presenting the issues at stake. This makes the book a useful and accessible resource for an introduction or overview of the topic, not only for lawyers and EU law specialists, but also for readers from other fields, given that the author also manages to get across the main ideas of the relevant core EU law concepts.'

Markus Kern Source: European Law Blog (europeanlawblog.eu/)

'… the author manages to achieve a good balance between generalization and detail, and reading the analysis as a whole will deepen anyone’s understanding of this complex system of EU economic law because Sauter complements the necessary simplifications with very insightful realistic and contextual remarks at all levels.'

Albert Sanchez Graells Source: Legal Issues of Economic Integration

'This book provides a comprehensive overview of the EU law on public services within the context of European integration. It brings together important analysis of the primary Treaty law, mainly on the internal market and competition, and of the secondary legislation at EU level, including different sector-specific regimes. Particular attention is given to case law of the EU courts. This will be an essential reading for those looking to have a broader understanding of the subject.'

Hans-W. Micklitz Source: Journal of Consumer Policy