*** TANGUY DE WILDE, LAETITIA SPETSCHINSKY (Edited by): Les relations entre l'Union européenne et la Fédération de Russie. Institut d'études européennes de l'Université catholique de Louvain (1 place des Doyens, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Tel: (32-10) 478550 - Fax: 478549). 2000, 263 pages. ISBN 2-87404-011-8.
Fruit of a seminar organised in the framework of the Interbrew-Baillet Latour chair, this work enlightens various aspects and sub-levels of the relations that have been tied by the European Union and Russia since the fall of the iron curtain. Relations that are of an capital importance for the continent - they constitute one of the keys to its stability - but which, according to Commissioner Chris Patten, also remain a riddle as Russia is unquestionably European, but it is not Western… Commentaries from co-ordinators of the book in the introduction: evidently neither history nor geography give Russia the possibility of being both at once. Or rather on being two at the same time. Also citing the former Minister for Foreign Affairs Evgenii Primakov for whom Russian diplomacy must stand on both legs to draw benefit from its central position in the Eurasian area. A position which, according to Prof. Tanguy de Wilde (UCL) and Laetitia Spetschinsky, renders an integration of Russia and the Union impossible, but their cooperation necessary. From where the need to properly understand with whom one is dealing and the dynamics of relations. This book helps.
The work opens with a reflection on the weight of the troubled past between the two entities and the role of memories in the rapprochement carried out. Valérie-Barbara Rosoux (UCL) first shows that the management and the representation of the past constitute a crucial parameter to take into consideration in the study of foreign policy. This questioning over the role of memory is extended by Laetitia Spetschinsky who specifically applies it to EU-Russia relations when wondering: what past for which reconciliation? Same approach for Catherine de Montlibert-Dumoulin (lecturer at the Institute for political sciences in Paris and responsible for the guest lectures at the History department of the UCL) who broaches the issue in the light of the attitudes adopted by the Soviet Union of 1934 and by the Russian Federation of 1992. The same author then studies the way in which decision-making intervenes in Russian foreign policy and the respective role played by the actors - President, Minister for Foreign Affairs, other Ministers… - who determine it. Ralph Genetzke then carries out a very useful critical analysis of the common strategy with regards to Russia that was adopted by the Union during the Cologne European Council in June 1999. He poses to this effect, two key questions to which he brings detailed answers: this common strategy has it brought added value or added confusion in terms of coordination within the EU and cooperation with Russia. Tanguy de Wilde analyses, for his part, a continuity in change, namely the EU measures of economic coercion towards the USSR and now, Chechnya helping, Russia. Finally, Lionel Ponsard questions the evolution of relations between NATO and Moscow after the intervention carried out in Kosovo, while the journalists Nina Bachkatov and Andrew Wilson carry out an examination of the Russian perception of the policy lead by the EU in order to emphasis the impact produced in Moscow of EU 15 decisions.
Michel Theys
*** HISKI HAUKKALA, SERGIE MEDVEDEV (Edited by): The EU Common Strategy on Russia. Learning the Grammar of the CFSP. Ulkopoliittinen instituutti,(15 A Mannerheimintie, 00260 Helsinki) and Institut für Europäische Politik (Jean Monnet Haus, 22 Bundesallee, 10717 Berlin). "Programme on the Northern Dimension of the CFSP" series, N° 11. 2000, 163 pages. ISBN 951-769-115-7.
This collective work from the series on the northern dimension of CFSP is well timed, two months after the document by the High Representative Javier Solana denouncing the failings of the "common strategies" adopted by the European Union with regards to certain third countries or regions. Starting with Russia (see EUROPE/Documents N° 2228, annexed to EUROPE of 30 January), Yuri A. Borko, Head of the European integration research centre and the Russian Academy for sciences, underlines the importance that Russian gives to this common strategy that the country's leaders consider as one of the fundamental documents on which is based long-term cooperation with the EU. Though he also notes in some of his compatriots a "hidden disappointment" and a "disagreement with certain elements" of the strategy, feelings that explain the absence, in general, of an assessment of the EU strategy on their part. With a few exceptions, such as this rather critical article by Igor Leshukov, researcher at the European University in Saint Petersburg who asserts that the common strategy is a document of a purely technical nature, a sort of register of policies that the EU leads with Russia, and a rather banal register which means, according to him, that the common strategy "is not a strategy in the true sense of the term"… As for Yuri Borko he, launches into an exercise of comparison between the EU strategy and the medium-term Russian strategy" through which Moscow had answered the Union, by underlining a series of contradictions between them. According to him, the most noticeable difference, which is at the head of the document by the Union, is absent from the list of aims and priorities of the Russian strategy. However, Mr Borko feels that the European strategy is a document of great importance from the political point of view,, while the situation is less clear if we see it under an "operational" angle. He also puts forward a judgement that goes beyond the value of this strategy, by asserting that one can doubt the "true capability of the Member States to draft and implement, together with the EU institutions, a common strategy for any country or region. His conclusion: maybe we should have started by tackling a more simple case than Russia…
(MG)
*** JACQUES CHEVTCHENKO: Ukraine. Bibliographie des ouvrages en français XVIIe-XXe siècles. Publications de l'Est Européen (B. P. 51-06, F-75261 Paris Cedex 06). 2000, 224 pages, FF 80. ISBN 2-902892-06-3.
This work present a very complete bibliography of the books and article concerning the Ukraine that have been published in French since the 17th Century. History naturally finds a weighted place, this country having, at the time when it was called Ruthenia, offered a queen to France and having given birth, during its split, to the principality of Valdirmir-Souzdal, present foundation… Russia.
(MT)
*** JOANNE VAN SELM (Edited by): Kosovo's Refugees in the European Union. Pinter (Wellington House, 125 Strand, London WC2R 0BB - Tel: (44-20) 79220880 - Fax: 79220881 - Internet: http://www.continuumbooks.com ). 2000, 240 pages, GBP 15.99. ISBN 1-85567-641-9.
While enlargement raises concerns with some citizens who fear a massive arrival of employment seekers, this work looks at the case of millions of people who, ethnic cleaning by Serb forces and saviour bombing by NATO helping, have been forced to leave their homes and have tried to reach the Union where they have, due to their presence, posed a problem for the leaders of certain Member States. Leaders whose reactions revealed themselves to be "confused" and "disparate". This is the verdict that comes from the reading of this remarkable work, work of researchers in different disciplines who describe and analyse the situation and privileged approached by the governments of the Member States of the Union to manage the problem of Kosovar refugees. Seven countries are more particularly passed under the microscope (Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden), the other Member States of the Union having welcomed Kosovar refugees, being discussed in a more superficial manner.
The stated motivation of the authors of the work is to examine whether the approach adopted by the Member States during the Kosovo crisis had constituted a step forward in the definition of an appropriate status for refugees. The seven chapters turn around a few core themes. Firstly, the lessons for the case of the Kosovars?). Then, the state of the national debate over asylum and immigration policy that prevailed at the time of the unleashing of the Kosovo crisis and the influence of them on the pursuit of policies in the field. Through these issues, it is also the history of Kosovo and, in a more general manner, the lessons to be drawn from those in the Balkans that are broached in this book, work of evident objectivity.
(GC)
*** SUSANA BELTRÀ: Algunas reflexiones sobre los acuerdos exteriores de las regiones de Europa occidental. Institut Universitair d'Estudis Europeus (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Edifici E1, 08193 Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona. Tel: (34-93) 5812016 - Fax: 5813063). 2000, 99 pages, ESP 500. ISBN 84-95201-05-4.
Professor in International public law at the Free University of Barcelona, Susana Beltràn dedicates this study to the European regions that, now, tie agreements with foreign entities in view of collaborating in areas of common interest. However, some doubt remains over the legal nature and basis of such agreements. The author works towards clarifying this problem and she notably examines the issues of the international responsibility of the State for the foreign agreements concluded by one or other of its regions. A list - already long - of this kind of agreements as well as an abundant bibliography enrich this book, which is available in Spanish.
(MT)
*** PAUL HATRY, GUILLERMO HILLCOAT, TOLF LINKOHR, NEY LOPES, MARCELO OSSANDON: L'Europe et l'Amérique latine à l'aube d'un nouveau millénaire. ULB/Cercal (Bât. NB-CP 181, av. Paul Héger, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 6503103 - Fax: 6504198). "Cahiers Cercal" series, N° 28. 2000, 82 pages.
This new pamphlet by the Centre for research and the promotion of relations between countries of the European Community and Latin America presents texts that concern various aspects of the problem of the development of the Latin American continent. Thus, in an economic part, a former Belgian Finance Minister, the Liberal Paul Hatry, defends the idea that the trading future of the planet cannot be conditioned by the failure of the WTO in Seattle to the extent that it is the third world, which suffers most. While Marcelo Ossandron (researcher at CERCAL) underlines the importance, in a foreword, of the regional integration process underway in Latin America, Guillermo Hillcoat (lecturer at the University of Paris I) studies, for his part, the trade policy of the Mercosur in the light of its latest trade negotiations, while paying particular attention to the agricultural aspects. The other part of the brochure is dedicated to education.
(MT)
*** JEAN-CLAUDE LEFORT: L'OMC a-t-elle perdu le Sud ? Pour une économie internationale équitable assurant le développement des pays pauvres. Délégation de l'Assemblée nationale pour l'Union européenne (Kiosque de l'Assemblée nationale, 4 rue Aristide Briand, F-75007 Paris. Internet: http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr ). "Les documents d'information de l'Assemblée nationale" series, N° 2750. 2000, 299 pages, FF 40, EUR 6.10. ISBN 2-11-115074-6.
The French MP who signs this report starts from the realisation that the failure of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle unquestionably revealed the North-South division: great loser of globalisation, disgruntled by the agreements of Marrakech which, concluded in 1994, do not bring them any beneficial fallout, the Southern countries have, according to him, widely contributed towards the failure, for the first time, of the launching of a second round of multilateral trade negotiations. While recognising that the World Trade Organisation is not the only one responsible for the persistence of under development, other bodies - the IMF, and the World Bank among others - having failed in their mission to regulate the international economy, the author first paints an assessment without complacency of the Marrakech agreements. He notably notes that the gap between the industrialised countries and the developing countries has not ceased growing (international trade has only been a factor in development in limited cases, while it is that Southern countries have benefited from financial globalisation and that they have deprived themselves of essential goods). Some agreements are characterise, according to Jean-Claude Lefort by a true imbalance at the level of rights and obligations imposed by the North and on the Southern countries, how can on be surprised if global governance is presently seen by the LDC as a set of obligations imposed by the rich countries? Once this sombre decor set, the French MP outlines the paths in view of establishing a fair economic order at the service of sustainable human development. He calls for the development strategies to be centred on man, explaining that development cooperation policy must be rethought in view of assuring endogen development and that the partnership between the EU and ACP States can be the laboratory of this new model of development. In the last part of the report, he defends the idea that the scaling of international standards will favour sustainable human development, international financial organisations having to put this aim at the heart of their mandate. Especially useful annexes further enrich this remarkable report.
(LD)
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Office for the Official Publication of the EC, L-2985 Luxembourg) has published the following documents:
*** Environment, Energy, Europe. An investment for the Present and for the future. 2001, 19 pages. ISBN 92-828-5579-1.
This brochure gives an overview of the "Energy, environment and sustainable development" research programme that was drafted on the basis of the conviction that developing a clean, safe and efficient energy production, promote the use of energy that is more respectful of the environment, improve the management of natural resources and reduce environmental damage due to industry are also crucial investments in the future of Europe. Different aspects of the programme are reviewed, from the sustainable management of marine ecosystems to the optimisation of the potential of European research passing, among others, by controlled thermonuclear fusion…
*** Islands and coastal regions. Structural and territorial policies of Europe. 2001, 43 pages. ISBN 92-894-0453-1.
Natural border between the maritime horizon and the interior of countries, islands and coastal regions are strategic territories for the European Union. Islands cover a surface area of 109,423 km2 (3.4% of the EU) and 14 million inhabitants (3.43% of the Union population) live there. As for the coastal areas, they extend for 89,000km and include numerous cities of more than 50,000 inhabitants such as Athens, Copenhagen, Lisbon and Stockholm. This brochure jointly produced by the Directorates General for Regional Policy and Fisheries presents these regions, their assets and their weaknesses, before explaining the regional policy actions that are developed in their favour
- Inforegio panorama. January 2001, 15 pages.
In summary of this issue: Spain: transport centre periphery, portrait of a region: Gothenburg and Bohua between sea and stones, the word to actors on the ground: the autonomous port of Liege that unites rail, road and water, succeeding social integration in Portugal, urban audit, wide ranging investigation on standard of living carried out in 58 large European cities on the Commission's initiative… Also to be noted is an interview with Konstantinos Hatzidakis, President of the EP Committee responsible for regional policy, transport and tourism.
*** Regions and Communes of Europe. Committee of the Regions (92-102 rue Montoyer, B-1000 Brussels - (32-2) 2822155 - Fax: 2822085 - Internet: http://www.cor.eu.int ). Jan/Feb. 2001, N° 31, 8 pages.
This issue of the information letter from the Committee of the Regions draws an assessment of the 36th plenary session of the Committee during which Commissioner Viviane Reding indicated that regional and local authorities should be associated to the works on the assessment of the quality of education. Other themes broached: the regions want to control the funds that are aimed at them, for a Charter for Regional Autonomy, Enlargement, globalisation and new forms of governance, the contribution of cities and regions in the social field, the contribution on the Committee of the Regions to the Lithuania's accession preparations.
*** Départements. Assemblée des Départements de France (6 rue Duguay-Trouin, F-75006 Paris - Tel: (33-1) 45496020 - Fax: 45496021) February 2001, N° 63, FF 30.
This magazine from the French Conseils generaux notably discusses, in this issue, the growing spending of social aid. Other issues broached: the major projects of cities on the move, the contribution of the European Social Fund for the 2000-2006 period, pedestrian hiking maps for departments and the reform of the code for public procurement.
*** Actualité des services Publics en Europe. ASPE (36 rue de Laborde, F-75008 Paris - Fax: (33-1) 43876891 - E-mail: aspe@club-internet.fr). February 2001, N° 75, 19 pages.
This Letter by European networking companies dedicates a dossier to the liberalisation of the European energy market, that of electricity in particular. Will Europe succeed there where California failed? The question is asked. For the Letter, the accelerated energy policy of the EU leaves citizens on the sidelines.