This book examines how sovereignty works in the context of European integration and postcolonialism. Focusing on a group of micro-polities associated with the European Union, it offers a new understanding of international relations in the context of modern sovereignty.

This book examines how sovereignty works in the context of European integration and postcolonialism. Focusing on a group of micro-polities associated with the European Union, it offers a new understanding of international relations in the context of modern sovereignty. This book offers a systematic and comparative analysis of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), the EU and the four affected Member States: UK, France, the Netherlands and Denmark. Contributors explore how states and state-like entities play 'sovereignty games' to understand how a group of postcolonial entities may strategically use their ambiguous status in relation to sovereignty. The book examines why former colonies are seeking greater room to manoeuvre on their own, whilst simultaneously developing a close relationship to the supranational EU. Methodologically sophisticated, this interdisciplinary volume combines interviews, participant observation, textual, legal and institutional analysis for a new theoretical approach to understanding the strategic possibilities and subjectivity of non-sovereign entities in international politics. Bringing together research on European integration and postcolonial theory, European Integration and Postcolonial Sovereignty Games will be of interest to students and scholars of International Relations, EU studies, Postcolonial studies, International Law and Political Theory.

'The value of the book rests not on its conclusions but in its survey of the subject matter. It is the only academic text to do so and as such a necessary starting point for any future review of EU-OCT relations. It is unlikely that a book on this subject would ever have appeared had it not been Denmark's turn to take the EU Presidency when it was being researched; in the end, we must be thankful to the Danish academics who seized the opportunity thus presented to produce an innovative and very welcome study.' - Paul Sutton, Island Studies Journal, Vol.8, No.1, 2013 p179-184 "This book is a remarkably interesting read. It provides a new and very useful insight into some of the practical, complex political, legal, economical, and social relations characteristic of the postcolonial world of the 21st century. It could be gratifying to many disciplines." - Hanne Petersen, University of Copenhagen, Politik 16(4):62-4 "This book successfully brings together research on European integration and postcolonial theory. It sheds a unique, comprehensive and original light on the triangular relationship between the OCTs, their administering powers and the EU, which will certainly appeal to scholars and students of International Relations, EU Studies, Postcolonial Studies and Development Studies." - Joren Verschaeve, Ghent University, Journal of Common Market Studies, 2014, 52(4)