*** CHRISTINE KADDOUS (Editor): The European Union in International Organisations and Global Governance. Recent Developments. Hart Publishing (16C Worcester Place, Oxford, OX1 2JW, UK. Tel: (44-1865) 517530 - fax: 510710 - Email: mail@hartpub.co.uk - Internet: http://www.hartpub.co.uk ). "Modern Studies in European Law" series, No. 56. 2015, 279 pp. £68. ISBN 978-1-84946-700-1.
This book stems from the conference organised in Geneva to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the European Legal Studies Centre at the University of Geneva. It provides some useful clarification about the way in which the European Union conducts itself in the organisations that participate in global governance. The authors are all experts and researchers, as well as diplomats and politicians. They seek to demonstrate how the resources of the Union are deployed in an effort to take appropriate action in these bodies and what level of scope is conceded to them by the member states and on this basis, what it is they intend to do with it. To this end, it is not just the legal, political and economic fallout from its participation that is assessed but also the degree of freedom and scope "conceded" to them by the 28 different members to the European ensemble, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of European Union action, given the subsequent consequences resulting from the more or less asserted determination of the member states to act together. In light of the provisions included on this subject in the Lisbon Treaty and in the context of the launch of the European External Action Service, Christine Kaddous (Professor of European Law at the University of Geneva) discusses this issue in her introduction, whilst exploring the reasons that explain the increasingly more assertive presence of the European Union in the major international bodies.
The first of these to be examined within the perspective of the role played by the Union is the United Nations, particularly in light of the experience of Mariangela Zappia, who, as patron of the European Delegation in Geneva, was involved in the elaboration of the resolution on the Union's participation, adopted by the General Assembly in 2011. As a legal adviser to the UN in Geneva, Markus Schmidt, seeks to assess the strength of the Union exercised within this body, particularly in the area of human rights. No fewer than four authors subsequently pool their efforts to legally and politically assess the Union's representation in the UN bodies such as the FAO, International Atomic Energy Agency and UNESCO, which leads them to the rather depressing but not very surprising observation that there is still not yet any convincing strategy to improve the EU's status in the UN system.
The second part of the book focuses on exactly the same issue but regarding the Union's participation in the International Labour Organisation of which it is not actually remember, despite its scope in the area of social policy. Its contribution has therefore been looked at in light of the coordination that prevails between eight of its member states. A legal practitioner from the ILO highlights the convergence of the objectives pursued by the two bodies, particularly with regard to the promotion of "decent work". In the context of the World Trade Organisation, the European civil servants Detlev Brauns and Tomas Baert explain why the Union occupies a very specific place and is in fact in a class of its own with regard to the other UN bodies present in Geneva, whilst their colleague, Frank Hoffmeister explains that the Union's participation in this body could, in certain conditions that still need to be verified and fulfilled, constitute a sustainable model. In the two following parts of the book, the relations developed between the Union and the World Health Organisation and the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation are explored, still within this perspective and the exercise ultimately leads to the overall observation that the Union's presence in the UN is indeed complex yet far from dysfunctional. Pierre Bouvier
*** MAREK NEUMAN: Too small to Make an Impact? The Czech Republic´s Influence on the European Union´s Foreign Policy. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, P.O. 350, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). 2015, 308 pp. €54.95 ISBN 978-3-631-65206-0.
Marek Neuman's starting point for his book is to work out the opportunities that this small country has for taking action and influencing European foreign policy. In this book he looks at the influence exerted by the Czech Republic in this domain. To support his argument, the author highlights Czech influence in an area that is considered crucial for the country's external policy, such as its relations with Russia and countries in the post-soviet area, the Eastern partnership, the energy security sector and an issue that many Czech people regard as fundamental for them, its relations with Russia and the promotion of democracy. The essential character of these areas of exploration is solidly backed up by both geopolitical and historic considerations. Drawing on both theoretical and sociological arguments in the area of international relations in the application of the concepts used and an analysis of the internal negotiating process in the European Union, Marek Neuman evaluates the successes and failures of Czech policy in influencing European external policy and, more broadly, explores the key factors that allow a member state to exert its influence in this domain. (GLe)
*** DIMITRIS KAIRIDIS: Le nationalisme, les conflits ethniques et les relations internationales. La théorie et la pratique dans les Balkans. Editions Sideris (116 rue Solonos, Gr-10681 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3833434 - fax: 3832294 - Email: contact@isideris.gr). 2015, 412 pp. €29. ISBN 978-960-080-690-8.
In this book, a professor of international relations at the Faculty of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies at the University of Macedonia in Salonika provides readers with the most recent research carried out in the area of national and ethnic conflict at an international level. At the same time, he also seeks to connect this research with the development and most significant theoretical controversies recorded in the area of international relations, which mainly involve epistemological and methodological questions. His goal is therefore one of providing clarification about the two most dramatic ethnic conflicts of late, namely, the wars that occurred during the explosion of the former Yugoslavia and in Cyprus which, over decades, determined the security of their respective neighbourhood areas. The author attempts to demolish the series of dominant beliefs regarding the Balkans and ethnic conflicts in general within both an historical perspective and theoretical reflection. His examination is based on a fundamental question: ultimately, to what extent are ethnic conflicts really "ethnic"? (AKa)
*** HÜSEYIN ISIKSAL, OZAN ÖRMECI (Editors): Turkish Foreign Policy in the New Millennium. Peter Lang (see address attached). 2015, 730 p., 99,95 €. ISBN 978-3-631-66402-5.
This book is in itself an imposing document due to the number of pages and chapters it contains and which focus on the foreign policy carried out by Turkey since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Obviously, it is not a subject that can be skimmed over in a couple of dozen pages, without falling into the danger of providing a deceptively superficial insight. The political scientists involved in this initiative are two lecturers at the American University of Girne in Kyrenia (Northern Cyprus) and, on the contrary, provide an extremely far reaching analysis of the main areas pursued by leaders in this policy since the National Oath was sworn by Ataturk in 1990 to build a Turkish Republic. The book is also imposing due to the variety of ideological perceptions expressed within it, which include the forward by two diplomats and former Turkish Foreign Ministers, who are not at all of the same political complexion. In reality, as explained by Ozan Örmeci in his introduction, "the common point of all articles is that they aim to guide Turkey to have a liberal democratic system by sustaining its western integration and to help regional actors to provide peace and stability". This may be true but the body of the work clearly demonstrates the need for certain qualification… Once the basic principles and main areas of Turkish foreign policy are explored, the country's relationship with most of the world are methodically reviewed, such as in the Middle East and America, as well as the more remote areas of Asia, the Balkans, the Mediterranean rim, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the US and even the international organisations. There is obviously a significant focus on Turkey's relations with the European Union and on which there are four different contributions. Evidently, there is an analysis provided of the specific case of Cyprus. It should be pointed out that it is principally Turkish civil society that is most in favour of joining the Union. For the remaining areas, it is taken as read that there has been increasing polarisation between Turkish secular society and Islam, which could produce a clash that could make Turkish democracy even more fragile and even weaken its traditional Western orientation. (MT)
*** LUCIO LEVI: Una Helsinki 2 nel Mediterraneo. Centro Studi sul Federalismo (30 via Real Collegio, I-10024 Moncalieri. Tel: (39-11) 6705024 - fax: 6705081 - Email: info@csfederalismo.it - Internet: http://www.csfederalismo.it ). « « Policy Paper » series, No. 12. 2015, 26 pp…
In this short "Policy Paper" by the Federalism Study Centre, the Italian federalist, Lucio Levi's starting point is based on the difficult to refute assertion that security in the Mediterranean is an essential condition for ensuring stability and economic development in Africa and the Middle East. Due to the fact that the US has lost a degree of its arrogance and the European Union does not have the resources to act alone in this connection, this Professor of political science and comparative policy (University of Turin) organised a conference on Security and co-operation in the Mediterranean, which was based on the Helsinki Conference on Relations between East and West, before the end of the Cold War, in an effort to bring together all the states from the region, as well as the major powers. (MT)
*** GHIA NODIA, CHRISTOPH H. STEFES (Editors): Security, democracy and development in the Southern Caucasus and the Black Sea Region. Peter Lang (see address attached). "Interdisciplinary studies on Central and Eastern Europe". 2015, 380 pp. €87.30. ISBN 978-3-0343-1300-1.
This selection of articles looks at the political situation in Black Sea neighbouring countries, with a particular focus on the states of the South Caucasus. The different article provide a number of insights, some of them particularly detailed, on the difficult transition from the Soviet era, as well as the political situation in these countries and the strategic importance involved in the process for building viable states in these new countries. There are specific issues in these countries, such as the question of self-proclaimed states, frozen conflicts, energy related challenges, the success or failure of the "colour" revolutions are also explored in detail. Issues such as the strategic importance of this region in the power game between major powers is also looked at and the way in which Western powers can intervene appropriately in an effort to promote modernisation in these countries. (GLe)
*** L'Europe en formation. Revue d'études sur la construction européenne et le fédéralisme - Journal of Studies on European Integration and Federalism. Centre international de formation européenne (« L'Adriatic », 81 rue de France, F-06000 Nice. Tel: (33-4) 93979397 - fax: 93979398 - Email: europe.formation@cife.eu - Internet: http://www.cife.eu ). 2015, No. 375, 191 pp. €20. Subscription €50.
This issue of the journal launched by the uncompromising federalist, Alexandre Marc, mainly consists of feature article on relations between the European Union and countries in Central Asia. In August 2014, experts from this region and Europe organised a conference in Kazakhstan, to look at these relations and their prospects in the perspective of themes such as the promotion of democracy, natural resources and broader security issues. Their respective analyses are included in this dossier. (PBo)
*** SA M LYES: Crimes internationaux et immunité de l'acte de fonction des anciens dirigeants étatiques. Peter Lang (See address attached). “Cultures juridiques et politiques” series, n° 7 2015, 232 pp. €68.50. ISBN 978-3-0343-1690-3
This book stems from a thesis on the subject of immunity from criminal proceedings for state leaders. As proved by the case of the former Ivory Coast President Gbagbo, currently on trial for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, this immunity only lasts whilst power is exercised. As demonstrated by Emmanuel Decaux in his French Yearbook of International Law, it is power that protects the Head of State and, “not the law”. The subject, however, is much more complex than would appear. In this study, Sam Lyes, examines the foundations of the hypothesis according to which, contrary to what this doctrine has been able to say on the matter, international crimes can constitute, the “acts of function” of state agents and are, consequently, collective acts of state. In the first part of this book, the author, a doctor of international public law and now senior lecturer at the University of Mouloud Mammeri in Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria, seeks to demonstrate that international crimes imply, by definition, intervention by the state apparatus and they are subsequently committed by senior state officials, in the context of their exercise of their functions. In the second part of the book, the author seeks to highlight the legal implication that can arise from such a definition at a level of of criminal legal liability of individual bodies. (PBo)