*** JEAN-MARIE WAREGNE: L'Organisation mondiale du commerce. Règles de fonctionnement et enjeux économiques. Editions du centre de recherche et d'information socio-politiques (Crsip, 35 rue du Congrès, B-1000 Bruxelles). 2000, 391 pages, FEB 24.50, EUR 24.50. ISBN 2-87075071-8.
Economist Jean-Marie Warêgne is adviser to Belgium's Permanent Mission in Geneva. In this role, he witnessed first-hand the long and hard negotiations of the Uruguay Round that led to the creation, on 1 January 1995, of the World Trade Organisation. Called upon -and already doing so- to play a key role in arbitration in international trade relations, this young international organisation is causing much ink to flow and creating considerable controversy between supporters and opponents of free trade. Warêgne refuses to take an open stance in this debate, simply observing in the foreword: "Although independent of the phenomenon of globalisation in itself, the WTO has nevertheless brought to the fore all the issues such a phenomenon creates. It has thereby crystallised a large number of criticisms and highlighted certain economic changes taking place at the end of the 20th century. But it should be borne in mind that this organisation is first and foremost the emanation of the member countries that make it up and that it is more an executor of the will of the countries delegating to it, via the WTO Agreements, a number of responsibilities and duties, than the inventor of new procedures."
The objective "modestly" sought by Jean-Marie Warêgne is an educational one. He describes with a keen sense of objectivity the working of the WTO and the agreements that brought to conclusion the Uruguay Round, without neglecting economic explanations of certain aspects of the positions of the organisation's member countries, nor a description of the first major trade dispute pitting the United States against the European Union, i.e. the famous "banana war". The book has three parts. Part One describes the foundations of the world trading system, tracing the origins of the WTO, its structure and operation, the role played by member countries and the principles on which the organisation is based. It also explains the legal framework established by the WTO through a number of agreements (anti-dumping, technical barriers to trade, etc.). Part Two details the principal sectoral agreements in force within the WTO: trade in services, agriculture, textiles, intellectual property, basic telecommunications, financial services and information technology. Part Three addresses important issues for the future: the environment, trade dispute settlement procedures, electronic commerce, the stakes and resounding failure of the Seattle Conference, and -an aspect that should be of particular interest to our readers- the European Union's mode of operation vis-à-vis the WTO. In conclusion, this guide will be valuable for all those interested in understanding the major trade manœuvres of the past, present and future. Michel Theys
*** ELISABETH MARX: Breaking through Culture Shock. What you need to succeed in international business. Nicholas Brealey Publishing (36 John Street, London WC1N 2AT. Tel: (44-171) 4300224, fax: 4048311, Internet: http: //http://www.nbrealey-books.com ). 1999, 233 pages, GBP 18, USD 25. ISBN 1-85788-220-2.
Director of Norman Broadbent International and specialised in the psychological approach to international management staff, Elisabeth Marx develops in this work an analysis of the problems that arise for businessmen working outside their own cultural context and the harmful consequences that can result. She outlines ways of avoiding the pitfalls of culture shock. (MT)
*** ALFONSO MATTERA, Ed: Revue du droit de l'Union européenne. Editions Clément Juglar (62 av. de Suffren, F-75015 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 45675806, fax: 45665070). No 1-2000, FRF 290.
Readers familiar with the Revue du marché unique européen mustn't be disconcerted: for its 10th anniversary, this publication is changing its name, but its presentation and format remain essentially what they have always been, but a bit more ambitious. Its editor, Alfonso Mattera, explains the transformation in his editorial. The "quiet revolution" represented by the internal market has in fact for years involved far more than the abolition of frontiers. This is why, as Romano Prodi remarked in his first contribution, the Revue often "goes beyond the single market". This market exists, in spite of certain shortcomings, and it has direct links with all other Community achievements and projects: competition, Economic and Monetary Union, European citizenship and the WTO. The Revue has addressed these issues since its inception. Today, the gradual extension of its scope is now reflected in its title. "By expanding our horizons, we have the ambition of doing more and doing it better", announces Mr Mattera. And he proves so with this first issue of the year.
Claus-Dieter Ehlermann describes the modernisation of EU antitrust policy as a "legal and cultural revolution" made indispensable by changes at Member State and European level. And he is in a position to know what he is talking about, as proved by his entire past. The same is true of the article by Aurelio Pappalardo on the new rules on vertical agreements that have just entered into force. The article by Moavero Milanesi, Director at the Commission's Competition DG, focuses on a very topical subject: services of general economic interest, public enterprises and privatisation. Milanesi does not take a position on the different views of Member States over the desirable pace of liberalisation or interpretation of the notion of "universal service", but he offers an overview of Treaty provisions, the public enterprise system in the Community legal order, the interpretation of state aid rules, and the notion of private investor as a parameter for assessing aid.
Of course, even with the change of title, the usual columns are still there, starting with the report and commentary on Court of Justice decisions. As early as July 1991, Emanuele Gazzo described Mr Mattera's publication as the best journal of this genre. That judgment is still valid today; no comparable publication exists in French. (FR)
*** JEAN-CLAUDE DROUIN: Tous économistes. Guide d'introduction à l'économie. Presses Universitaires de France (108 bld. St. Germain, F-75006 Paris). "Major" series. 1999, 272 pages, FRF 149. ISBN 2-13-050362-4.
Lecturer in a business school and an engineering school, Jean-Claude Drouin wrote this book after observing that, nowadays, everyone is "making economics", just as Mr Jourdain "made prose" without realising it. So there is a need for some ground-clearing. This introductory handbook on economics has been written to meet that need among a growing public. It explains the basic concepts of economics, the foundations that must be understood to have a certain insight into the discipline. The basic mechanisms of business, the national economy and international economic relations are presented clearly and seriously, along with analyses by experts in economics. (MT)
*** Savings Banks: A Strong Support for the Regions. A German Experience. World Savings Banks Institute and European Savings Banks Group (11 rue Marie-Thérèse, B-1000 Bruxelles, Tel: (32) 022111111, fax: 022111199, E-mail: silvia.cambie@savings-banks.com, Internet: http: //http://www.savings-banks.com ). "Perspectives" series, No 37. 2000, 23 pages.
This brochure contains extracts from a study outlining the involvement of savings banks in the regional and local economies in the light of the German experience. (MT)
*** ROGER KAISER: La fiscalité belge des titres à revenus fixes. Régime classique versus clearing fiscal X/N. Etablissements Bruylant (67 rue de la Régence, B-1000 Bruxelles. Tel.: (32) 025129845). "Bibliothèque fiscale" series. 1999, 352 pages, FEB 2,700. ISBN 2-8027-1297-7.
Written as part of degree requirements for a Master's in "Taxation", this work provides a detailed, critical analysis of Belgian rules on withholding tax on income from movable assets. A work by a specialist -Roger Kaiser is adviser to the EU Banking Federation- for specialists. (MT)
*** JEAN-PIERRE FAUGERE: Economie européenne. Presses de la Fondation nationale des sciences politiques and Dalloz (distribution Benelux: Patrimoine, 168 rue du Noyer, B-1030 Bruxelles. Tel/fax: (32)027366847). "Amphithéâtre" series. 1999, 311 pages, FRF 175, BEF 1,190. ISBN 2-7246-0771-6.
The economic dimension of European construction is examined here from the standpoint of market thinking. Professor of Economics at Université Paris-Sud and Jean Monnet Professor of Integration and Public Policy, Jean-Pierre Faugère first examines the historical and theoretical foundations of the European economy, observing that the reality of European construction is based on a dialectic between concentration -which makes for more effectiveness but tends to create dominant positions- and competition. In a second section on the rules and operation of the Single Market, he examines integration via the market or, more exactly, via the different markets (industrial and agricultural products markets, capital and financial services markets, labour markets), namely the effects of their operation in terms of performance, stability and equity. For the author, this analysis is inseparable from analysis of policies implemented in these different markets. Entitled "Currency and Macroeconomic Policies", the third part studies the two major phases of monetary construction, from the "laborious apprenticeship of monetary Europe", i.e. the construction of EMS, to the economic upheaval caused by adoption of the euro. In his conclusions, Professor Faugère demonstrates that Europe is creating constraints for national policies and massive transfers of powers, giving a greater role to the market and, above all, affecting the way public intervention is defined. (MT)
*** LUIS RUBALCABA-BERMEJO: Business Services in European Industry. Growth, Employment and Competitiveness. European Commission (DG Enterprise, 200 rue de la Loi, B-1049 Bruxelles. Official Publications Office, 2 rue Mercier, L-2985 Luxembourg. Fax: (352-2929) 42758, E-mail: info.info@opoce.cec.be). 1999, 496 pages, EUR 17. ISBN 92-828-6697-1.
Business services or potential business services are many. More than 60 are mentioned here, from management consulting to quality control, cleaning and advertising. In this work published by the European Commission, Spanish Professor Rubalcaba (who teaches economics at Alcalá University) presents an exhaustive description of this sector of activities still largely unknown, although it constitutes one of the Union's leading sources of jobs and offers considerable comparative advantages to businesses taking advantage of them and to states making a particular commitment to this sector. A comprehensive study on a sector still too little known. (MT)
*** YVES CHAPUT: Le commissaire aux comptes. Partenaire de l'entreprise. Presses de Sciences Po (44 rue du Four, F-75006 Paris. E-mail: info@presses.sciences-po.fr, Internet: http: //http://www.sciences-po.fr ). "La bibliothèque du décideur" series. 1999, 144 pages, FRF 75. ISBN 2-7246-0784-8.
Professor at the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Director of the Research Centre on Corporate Law at the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yves Chaput provides a portrait of the French Commissaire aux comptes (auditor) and presents comparisons with systems in use in other countries, in particular those in the European Union (whereas US authorities "would gladly see themselves setting standards for what is correct in terms of auditing", he writes, but "with the emergence of the euro and the free movement of capital in the European economic and monetary union, the requirement of regional harmonisation is pressing as we enter the third millennium"). Whom should one choose in this "general interest profession? What can be expected of that person? And at what cost? These are some of the essential questions addressed by Chaput. (MT)
*** JEAN-LOUIS DESCHARREAUX, PIERRE SUZET-CHARBONNEL: Le Modèle client-savoirs. Les deux moteurs de l'entreprise. Editions Dunod (Paris, http://www.dunod.com ). Distribution Benelux: Patrimoine, 168 rue du Noyer, B-1030 Bruxelles. Tel/Fax: (32) 027366847, Patrimoine@netsgo.be). 2000, 223 pages. ISBN 2-10-004197-5.
The economy is increasingly affected by accelerating technological progress. For the authors of this work, against this backdrop of economic, technological and sociological change, companies have to adapt to deal with two revolutions, i.e. in clientele and in knowledge. The work outlines the questions company managers should be addressing to meet these challenges in the new millennium. (LD)
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION: L'occupazione al primo posto. Panoramica sui patti territoriali per l'occupazione in Italia. Available from the Commission's Regional Policy DG (200 rue de la Loi, B-1049 Bruxelles Tel: (32) 022966003) or the Commission's Permanent Representation in Italy (via Poli 29, I-00187 Rome, Tel: (39-06) 699991, fax: 6791658, 6793652). 1999, 44 pages. ISBN 92-828-7922-4.
Opening with a description of the objectives and foundations of the European Employment Pact, this brochure goes on to examine more specifically territorial employment pacts in Italy. It summarises their positive impact on job creation in the different regions of the country in economic difficulty, describing development in each.
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Two Decades of Reform in Higher Education in Europe: 1980 Onwards. Publication of the Euridyce European Unit (15 rue d'Arlon, B-1050 Bruxelles, tel: (32) 022383011, fax: 022306562, infor@eurydice.org, http: //http://www.eurydice.org ). Available in French in July: "Vingt années de réformes dans l'enseignement supérieur en Europe: de 1980 à nos jours". 2000, 194 pages. Includes a CD-Rom.
This study compares reforms in higher education in the EU Member states and three EFTA/EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), highlighting the broad trends and placing them into the specific contexts from which they have emerged. After an introduction to the historical, socio-economic, political and demographic frameworks and a description of the development of higher education systems over the past 20 years, the study presents a detailed analysis based on five dimensions (legislation; management, finance and control; access and wastage; curriculum and teaching; internationalisation). A CD-Rom included with the study reproduces the national descriptions that form the basis for the comparative analysis.
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Young People's Training. Key Data on Vocational Training in the European Union. Distributed by the Official Publications Office (L-2985 Luxembourg). 2000, 230 pages, 20 euros. ISBN 92-828-6216-X.
Published by the Education and Culture DG of the European Commission, in cooperation with the EC Statistical Office and Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training), this study offers a complete panorama of initial vocational training in the European Union, "the key to competitiveness and employment". With a wealth of statistics, the publication discusses the position of young people in the socio-economic context of the EU, training and vocational education systems, the enterprise as an active partner in vocational education and training, apprenticeship, continuing training, participation in vocational education and training, equal opportunities for men and women, and measures adopted by the European Commission.
*** ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE: Bulletin. Service Publications: rue Ravenstein 2, B-1000 Bruxelles, tel: (32) 025469011, 025469213, fax: 025469822, http: //http://www.esc.eu.int. No 1/2000, 23 pages.
This bulletin reports on the activities of the Economic and Social Committee, in particular on the 369th plenary session of 26 and 27 January last.
*** Stichting Ons Erfdeel (Murissonstraat 260, B-8930 Rekkem, tel: (32-56) 411201, fax: 414707, adm@onserfdeel.be) has published the following journals on cultural activities in Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands:
Septentrion. 2000, No 2. Annual subscription: FEB 1,325. In French. In this issue: four centuries of Dutch presence in Japan, the work of Belgian painter Léon Spilliaert, the autobiography in modern Dutch-language literature, poverty and social exclusion in Flanders, the poetry of Jan van Nijlen and a "Current Events" column.
Ons erfdeel. 2000, No 2. Annual subscription: FEB 2,100. In Dutch. In this issue: the evolution of Belgium, the novels of Rascha Peper, non-realistic drama in the work of Hugo Claus, the poetry of Wiel Kusters, religious tendencies in the Netherlands, the paintings of Philip Akkerman and a cultural chronicle.