A Conceptual Understanding of EU Sectoral Administrative Law

Any attempt to survey the sectoral administrative law of the European Union begs a number of fundamental questions. First, how do we understand ‘administrative law’, especially in relation to a supranational structure and system, such as that of the Union? Secondly, what exactly might we understand by ‘sectoral’ or ‘specialized’ administrative law, again especially in the context of the EU? Thirdly, just what is the difference between European Union law as such, and its administrative law. These distinctions, and the definitions attempted, are not addressed here just as scholarly abstractions. We take the view that understanding them and differentiating between these terms will make clear from the outset what this book attempts to cover, especially with respect to the concepts of both general EU administrative law and specialized EU administrative law employed here (which may or may not be similar to conceptualizations found in national contexts where these terms are employed).