*** ALEXANDER N. KRYLOV, AXEL SELL (Eds.): Government Relations. Interaktionen zwischen Wirtschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, Postfach 350, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - Fax: 3761727 - email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). 2009, 300 pp, €48.10. ISBN 978-3-631-58487-3.
National governments around the world have always fostered relations with industry, whether or not they are democratic governments. Likewise, the industrial world has always organised itself in order to bear weight on government body decision-making. This book by Alexander Krylov, director of the East-West Institute in Berlin, and Axel Sell, of Bremen University, examines this ever topical subject.
Although the different essays focus primarily on national matters, they are of clear interest to people interested in European affairs because some Europeans think the Commission's approach - getting industry and professional organisations on board and inviting their comments on draft legislation - is unusual to say the least, or even anti-democratic. Going beyond simple interaction between a government and the world of industry, this approach touches the heart of management of public affairs and the institutional organisation of public affairs and lead to a full questioning of the role of the state. Does the state have the right to provide privileges to private interests at the expense of public interest? Should states leave companies space in the institutional set-up, or should it be closed to any economic interests? The power of the state has unparalleled influence as far as a company is concerned - governments have the monopoly of legislation and the role of the state, and how it is organised, is a key factor for any economic decision. For decades now, companies and their professional organisations have organised to defend their interests at both national and international level. Some companies active in more than one country change the way they function according to the legislation in a particular country and therefore aim to influence that country's legislative process. A striking example of this is clearly the arguments made by some governments against the introduction of a carbon tax.
This influence is seen by many as synonymous with lobbying, a word that conjures up images of an antechamber to corruption. The question of the rule of law is discussed alongside the role played by the state in its dealings with the business world. The role of industry in the political process should be well defined and structured, an argument repeated throughout the book. International institutions also influence government decisions in the business domain. Axel Sell points out that the guidelines of international bodies like the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) point in the direction of including business in decision-making procedures. Moreover, funds granted to under-developed countries are often covered by the same guidelines. The role of international organisations therefore has to be taken into account. Finally, influence does not only emanate from professional associations and trade unions, but also from the state itself. In some countries, we see that the state runs some particularly lucrative industries or the controlling role of the state can prevent the emergence of private companies. Russia and China are the most striking examples of this today.
The authors cover all the above issues in the four sections of the book, each containing four articles. The first chapter is the most theoretical, examining the structures of government relations, while the second looks at the relationship between markets and the state. The third chapter comprises two articles and assesses the difference between defence of legitimate interests and corruption. The final, most pragmatic, chapter analyses the approaches taken by the industrial world to influence a state's legislative process.
Julien Demoustier
*** KENNETH DYSON, LUCIA QUAGLIA: European Economic Governance & Policies. Volume I: Commentary on Key Historical & Institutional Documents. Oxford University Press (Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: (44-1865) 556767 - Fax: 241701 - email: bookshop.uk@oup.com - Internet: http://www.oup.com ). 2010, 873 pp. ISBN 978-0-19-959451-1.
This book is quite exceptional! Edited by two scientists, it is an impressive series of original documents explaining the tortuous but inexorable affirmation of the need for economic and monetary governance in Europe. The authors go far back in time because the first document dates from 1866 and is the Convention that gave rise to the Latin Monetary Unit, moving on then to Keynes's criticisms of states' inability to organise the economic restructuring of the European continent after the First World War. The first chapter also mentions the Benelux Currency Convention, the European Payments Union and the triumphant Americanisation in the wake of the Second World War with the monetary measures set out in the Marshall Plan and the germinal elements in, and on the fringes of, the Paris Treaty and the Rome Treaty, not to mention the dynamic set in motion by the first steps in European integration. The second chapter explains 'Disappointed Ambition,' from the Werner Plan to the coordination of exchange rates, namely the period from 1970 to 1987, the authors reviewing, analysing and commenting in a wise and detailed manner on events like the creation of the European monetary snake and its echo, creation of the European Monetary Cooperation Fund and, finally, the launch of the European Monetary System and the changes that soon needed to be made to it. In the same spirit, the third part looks at 'Rediscovering Ambition' with the path leading to Maastricht from 1988 to 1991, while the fourth examines 'Ambition Realized,' with ratification of the Maastricht Treaty, the monetary crises of 1992 and 1993, and then examining the various stages leading to the launch of the single currency. The authors manage to explain in this manner the decision-makers' mindset and the various types of obstacle that needed to be overcome or wriggled around. The second part of the book deals with the creation of the European Central Bank and its position in the EU landscape. There is a chapter of documents, analysis, eye-witness accounts and commentaries on the institutional arrangements introduced in the eurozone, particularly the emergence of Eurogroup, its gradual institutionalisation and its rising power. By way of conclusion, Prof. Kenneth Dyson of Cardiff University looks at the problems and paradoxes of collective action in European economic governance, asking whether the eurozone countries are in the process of creating 'A New Europe in Old Bottles.' The hefty tome is illustrated by a number of cartoons and will be followed by a second volume on the more recent history of the eurozone, including the economic crisis that emerged in 2008 and the sovereign debt conundrum. As the authors explain at the start of the book, this volume is characterised by optimism because after decades of independentist shilly-shallying, European decision-makers finally understood 'the virtues of economic policy cooperation and integration,' but it remains to be seen whether, in the light of the hard facts of this time of crisis, they have learnt the right lessons and behave as the owners of Monetary Union.
(MT)
*** RAFFAELE POLI: Le marché des footballeurs. Réseaux et circuits dans l'économie globale. Peter Lang (see above). 'Savoirs Sportifs' series, No. 1. 2010, 164 pp, €23,20. ISBN 978-3-0343-0358-3.
Written by a doctor of geography lecturing at the Sports Science Institute of Lausanne University while at the same time managing the professional footballers' monitoring centre (a Franco-Swiss research group studying the development of the European labour market for football players), this book provides useful descriptions of the underlying logic of the globalisation of the market for football players. In the introduction, the author points out that the globalisation started as far back as the start of the twentieth or even the end of the nineteenth century and has expanded in Europe, examined by the expert authors in the light of the controversial Bosman ruling. The book is divided into three parts. The first presents the theoretical framework developed to examine the market for football players and introduces the main concepts. The second is devoted to a geo-economic analysis of the training and trade in players, with the author quantifying the development of international flows of players and the increase in the sums spent by big European championship clubs in the purchase of players. The third section uses a raft of examples to expose the logics underlying the transfer networks, identifying the main individuals involved, particularly in light of the case of African players.
(MT)
*** CAROLA DRECHSLER: Europaïsche Förderung audiovisueller Medien zwischen Welthandel und Anspruch auf kulturelle Vielfalt. Unter besonderer berücksichtigung der Kulturkompetenz der Europäischen Gemeinschaf. Peter Lang (see above). “Studien zum deutschen und europäischen Medienrecht" series, No. 40. 2009, 332 pp, €55-90. ISBN 978-3-631-59532-9.
The European Commission has been trying for several years to promote European broadcasting to counter US dominance and therefore it is possible that the EU promotion programme would fall foul of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. In order to ensure healthy competition between countries, the WTO has mechanisms to block any policies aimed at favouring one product over another, but other measures in international law, under the aegis of UNESCO, aim to ensure the promotion and distribution of cultural diversity, which enable the Commission to continue its fight. The same tension is found in this book, which makes a useful description of the most widely utilised paradigms in the remainder of the author's analysis. Although not covering anything new as such, this chapter is crucial for proper understanding of the rest of the book. The second part looks at EU audiovisual measures and their legal basis. Along with a description of EU measures, the author describes the stakeholders in this domain and sets out the action they can take. Carola Drechsler then looks at the subject from the global angle, analysing the various measures (GATT, etc) on subsidising television programmes. The compatibility of EU action in the light of such measures is examined in detail, ending with the dawn of the UNESCO Convention.
(JD)
*** CAROLINE HAHN: Die Aufsicht des öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunks. Peter Lang, (see above). “Studien zum deutschen und europäischen Medienrecht" series, No. 42. 2009, 307 pp, €54. ISBN 978-3-631-59808-5.
Like virtually everywhere else in the world, there have been state television channels for nearly sixty years now in Germany, funded and indirectly managed by the public authorities. The programmes, accounts and operations are all subject to control by the state. It is therefore legitimate to ask whether this is simply a hangover from the past that threatens true freedom of the press. Caroline Hahn raises this question and does not only answer it by looking at whether state control is obsolete, but also examines how public service actually works in broadcasting, suggesting new ideas for future changes. She goes as far as setting out a potential EU common position in this domain.. The book is divided into five parts. The first sets the background, discussing freedom of the press in German law and the extent of control of television channels. The following chapter will no doubt be of greatest use to readers interested in the European dimension because the author compares and contrasts state broadcasting controls in Germany and neighbouring countries, taking an in-depth look at the Franco-German channel 'Arte'. The author then addresses issues raised by state control of television and considers possible reforms in Germany, looking here at a potential solution at EU level in the light of the European Commission's Memorandum on television channels.
(JD)
*** KATHLEEN ARENDT, PATRICK ROSSLER, ANJA KALCH, FRANZISKA SPITZNER: Children's Film in Europe. A Literature Review. Peter Lang (see above). 2010, 164 pp, €32-50. ISBN 978-3-631-60454-0.
The fruit of a study by German researchers, this book gives a comprehensive overview of scientific literature about children's films in Europe since 2010. The analysis covers no fewer than 42 countries in Europe, particularly focussing on the financing of children's films, their production and distribution and also the culture they are immersed in. The authors are careful to examine all possible sources (online, library catalogues and interviews with experts) both nationally and internationally, and this generates a wide disparity of different types of literature.
(PBo)