*** DOMENICO ROSSETTI DI VALDALBERO: The Power of Science. Economic research and European decision-making: The case of energy and environment policies. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes / Peter Lang (1 av. Maurice, B-1050 Brussels. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: pie@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). 2010, 297 pp. €36.50. ISBN 978-90-5201-586-6.
Nowadays, when many people are quite satisfied in simply pursuing or trying to pursue a career, the author of this book provides a refreshing and powerful antidote. Domenico Rossetti di Valdalbero's passions and commitments unfurl on a variety of different terrains, even if they happen to converge. Therefore, this senior European Commission official is also the Secretary General of the European Union of Federalists. In this book, he demonstrates that despite all the different problems, in this small world of Community institutions, there are still a few indomitable militants fighting for European integration. The fact that this is not just a few voices preaching to themselves makes their struggle more noble than ever! This columnist at DG Research, is just as passionate about his professional undertakings. This book bears this out and is in fact an extension of his PhD thesis at the Université Paris Dauphine and his work at the European Commission.
In his preface, Pascal Lamy is categorical: political leaders need “visionary” scientists to make the decisions in order to appropriately prepare for the future. The former head of Cabinet for president Delors therefore points out that the single market was born on the basis of the “Cecchini Report” on the costs of not belonging to Europe. This was very broadly based on possible quantitative and qualitative models for the future. According to the former European Commissioner and current Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, this approach is the one usually adopted in this world of constant and ever-increasing change but which will also have to develop the appropriate means of one day being able to meet the challenges that are currently gestating but which most of our contemporaries fail to completely take on board. This involves preparing for them and this is what the cell created by Jacques Delors indeed intended to do. Since then, the Commission has renamed, overhauled and instrumentalised this tool and whose only crime was to rethink future challenges in an un-blinkered way. Fortunately, in certain DGs at the Commission, officials are still committed to work with the blinkers off and Domenico Rossetti di Valdalbero is one of them. In this book, he clearly and intelligently depicts the interaction between science and policy and research in the economic arena and the elaboration of Union policies. He develops a far-reaching reflection into the changes of these paradigms, which occurred in areas as diverse as the economy, energy and the environment from 1980- 2005 (his duty to refrain from commenting, obviously encouraged him to avoid any intellectual analysis in this field over recent years). Pascal Lamy points out that there are subjects that are directly linked to the quality of life of citizens and that these are issues affecting our contemporaries and future generations. Therefore, after having highlighted the research framework programmes developed in the 1980s and having underlined how these have encouraged scientists to innovate and work creatively in the research field, the author adopts an approach that essentially links economic modelling and political science. This seeks to measure the role played by scientists in the political decisions taken by the Union in the energy field and the environment. In this connection, he develops five different case studies tackling energy and environmental objectives (including the increasing segment of renewable energies, improved energy efficiency and the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions). This is combined with market instruments such as the emissions trading tax and is underpinned by the principle of the, “internalisation of external costs”. Subsequently, he also clarifies a large chunk of the scientific debate on analysing the future (precise and predictive analysis) and assesses the major scientific controversies surrounding economic and energy modelling.
His essential political message is, nevertheless, to shed further light on the key role now played by scientists in the management of European Union policy decisions, particularly those taken or not taken by the Commission in the energy and environmental fields. As a result, the author indicates that, “the debate is between democracy and technocracy, people and stakeholders and the general interest and specific problems”. This is a simple observation, which is bound to provoke debate, particularly at the European Parliament. Michel Theys
*** SAMI ANDOURA, LEIGH HANCHER, MARC VAN DER WOUDE (Editors): Vers une Communauté européenne de l'énergie: un projet politique. Notre Europe (19 rue de Milan, F-75009 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 44589797 - fax: 44589799 - Email: info@notre-europe.eu - Internet: http://www.notre-europe.eu ). "Etudes & Recherches" series, No. 76. 2010, 135 pp.
This report is a Jacques Delors initiative and is well-known to the readers of Agence Europe, which has referred to it on many occasions, particularly in the “Look Behind the News” column. It acts as a beacon and light in this ocean of uncertainties, which currently surround the issue of European construction. In its title it points out that it has always been a political project, which is appreciated by certain players. Firstly, it involved coal and steel, the common or the single market that followed and the energy market of tomorrow, if the appeal by the former president of the European Commission is listened to. These have never been and never will be ends in themselves but simply instruments serving a cause and an ideal that is much greater. Secondly, this report tackles one of the major challenges of our current epoch and examines the feasibility of a European energy community. The report is overseen by a collaborator at Notre Europe (Thinking a United Europe), who is also responsible for energy policy (Sami Andoura), as well as the Professor for European law, Leigh Hancher (University of Tilburg) and a senior lecturer in competition law, Marc van der Woude (in Rotterdam University). This report is the result of work carried out by the reflection group made up of number of senior figures. It outlines the “laborious task in developing European energy policy” and points out that this currently lacks coherency (which is surely a euphemism!). It also underlines that, “Europe and its institutions do not have the capacity for developing a genuine energy policy” and that this is lacking, “credibility and legitimacy” because the progress made in the past decade was also characterised by fragmentation. Based on this observation, the authors outline a route towards a more ambitious policy and provide reasons for promoting common action and how this could be the essential substance of a common policy, as well as what constitute the different stages required to reach this end. The initial pragmatic stages include the development of strengthened cooperation in the area of energy network infrastructure, the setting up of a common energy fund for financing new technologies and the implementation of “gas purchasing groups”. Nonetheless, moving beyond the technical considerations, there is also the necessary appeal to reason as launched by Jacques Delors: this new Community is required in order to respond to the concerns of European citizens and, “the vague formulas or endless proclamations, which are not enough if Europe wants its citizens to continue to believe in its ideal”. (MT)
*** GERARD VOISIN: « Eurovignette », la taxation des coûts du transport routier au service du pavillon français ? Commission des Affaires européennes de l'Assemblée nationale (Boutique de l'Assemblée nationale, 7 rue Aristide Briand, F-75007 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40630033 - Internet: http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr ). "Rapports d'information" series, No. 3018. 2010, 116 pp, €3. ISBN 978-2-11-128395-4.
The so-called “Eurovignette” draft directive presented by the European Commission seeks to provide citizens with a response to the ever-increasing problems created by the exponential rise in road transport. Not all member states are concerned by this problem in the same way and this draft directive does provoke some controversy. In line with its customary pedagogical approach, in the Rapports d'information, French MP, Gérard Voisin, clarifies the different aspects of this problem (particularly in light of the German, Austrian, Swiss and Czech perspectives) and focuses particular attention on the situation in France. (MT)
*** World and European Sustainable Cities. Insights from EU research. Commission européenne (DG Recherche, B-1049 Brussels. Fax: (32-2) 2979608 - Email: research-eu@ec.europa.eu - Internet: http: //bookshop.europa.eu). 2010, 34 pp. ISBN 978-92-79-15700-4.
This publication by officials at DG Research at the Commission provides a number of insights into research into different aspects of the increasing phenomena of urbanisation in the Union and the world: migration, new forms of poverty and exclusion, social and urban innovation etc. (MT)
*** GALINA MICHALEVA, ANDREY RYABOV (Editors): Russian Challenges. Between Freedom and Energy. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, CH-2542 Pieterlen, Switzerland. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "Interdisciplinary Studies on Central and Eastern Europe" series, No. 8. 2011, 240 pp., €41.90 Is a. ISBN 978-3-0343-0529-7.
At first glance, this book might appear a little suspect because it displays a certain partisan political complexion, particularly in respect of Galina Michaleva's analysis. She teaches at the faculty of history, law and political science at the State University of Russia for Human Sciences and overtly defines herself as a leading member of the Social-Liberal Party “Yabloko”, which is in opposition at the Duma. It is also openly accusatory and critical in tone but it is no less scientific and results from a conference organised by Professor Hayoz at the University of Freiburg summer 2006. This is another reason why we should be concerned: are the different contributions to this book outdated? On the contrary, claims the editors, who affirm that the observations and indictments made five years ago are as appropriate as ever. Most of the authors analyse the influence of oil and gas factors on the different aspects of domestic and foreign policy in Russia. They clearly demonstrate that this country is totally dependent on the exports of these energy resources and they draw up a gloomy overall picture. Therefore, the world crisis, which began in 2008, hit Russia very hard. They also show to what extent it was indeed dependent on these exports. According to the overall consensus of the different authors, summarised by Galina Michaleva and political scientist, Andrey Ryabov, this country is not quite ready to adapt to the new challenges facing it, modernisation and innovation projects and remains restricted by its declarations of intent because the country's ruling class has, “a subjective interest in maintaining and strengthening the current economic system” in order to protect its privileged position, despite the crisis exposing the need for bold changes. Notwithstanding the fact that Medvedev has taken over from Putin at the Kremlin since the 2006 conference, there is still a worsening in the regime's authoritarian characteristics at a political level, as well as increased corruption at every level of government and a toothless media, “particularly the television”, which are all simply, “instruments of propaganda”. The socio-economic gap between the regions also suddenly worsened, which leads the different specialists to ask whether the Russian Federation will be able to resist in its current make up. Finally, at a level of foreign policy, Moscow continues to support the multilateral approach but it is increasingly using its energy resources as a means of exerting political pressure, which obviously has repercussions on its neighbours and the European Union. (PBo)
*** HEINRICH TSCHOCHOHEI: Chemikalien-Governance. Chemikalienregulierung aus ökonomischer Perspective. Peter Lang (see address attached). 2009, 228 pp. €44.70. ISBN 978-3-631-586
At an economic level, the chemical industry is one of the most flourishing and important industries in Western Europe, particularly in Germany. Both its national and international governance is at the basis of its growth and performance but so too is the environmental impact caused by the chemical industry istelf. It is not for nothing that environmental activists are its most ferocious opponents and are at the origin of concerted action between national and regional associations urging the definition of a common transnational governance, as borne out in a number of international and European texts. In this very technical book, Heinrich Tschochohei, a specialist in sustainable development and energy policies, tackles three major questions. The first involves the different elements governing the development of the chemical industry's governance. Two dimensions are particularly and quite naturally taken into consideration: economic aspects and their environmental equivalent. The second question leads back to the first and looks at governance within the different bodies operating in this arena. The third question clarifies these models of governance in the daily practice of the firms working in this field. In an attempt to answer these questions (which define a number of red lines on the issue), the book is divided up into six different chapters. In the first, the author seeks to assess and define the importance of the trade in chemical products in the world. It then examines the regulatory framework in which the chemical industry is currently operating. Afterwards, it explores the sector's economic prospects. The following three chapters provide a far-reaching analysis of the different angles of governance in the chemical industry: economic governance, practical and regulatory aspects. This final point is subdivided into two parts, which analyse the legal provisions developed to protect the environment: part of the book focusing on the Toxics Use Reduction Act and sheds light on the regulation of toxic substances adopted by the US state of Massachusetts , whilst the other section looks at the Reach regulation put into place throughout the European Union Since 2007. This book provides a very comprehensive analysis but it must be said, however, that it will primarily be of interest to specialists in this field. (JD)