*** CHRISTOPHE DEGRYSE: Comprendre L'Europe scociale. Le role des syndicats. EVO (4 rue d'Anderlecht, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 512 5090 - Fax: 514 5231 - E-mail: evo.bxl@wanadoo.be). 2000, 120 pages. ISBM: 2-87003-370-2.
Journalist, Christophe Degryse has the social fibre as well as trade union. It is through the fundamentals, either way, that he learns, in this work, the slow rise in power of the social Europe. A social Europe which, as is noted by Philippe Pochet, Director of the European social monitoring centre, has been shaped through trial and error, through various instruments and objectives over time. These stages, the author outlines them in a first hand, which enables him to properly show that the social Europe is everything except linear, but that it works through flux and reflux.
In this succession of sequences, the Lisbon European Council marked, as is underlined by Philippe Pochet, the beginning of a new round and a new method, the method of open cooperation, which wants to be complementary to the classic process of European integration through the conventional means or through directives transcribed into the national legal agenda. This new method has as aim to lead to the coinciding of the national agendas with the Community agenda and involves, functioning properly, that the social actors take control, in short that the trade unions and associations grab the hammer. What Philippe Pochetr summarises in these words: it is now time (…) to move from a incantation at the end of the speech over a necessary social Europe to a strategic understanding of the stakes as well as the implementation of pertinent actions. This is where the interest of the book may be found from Christophe Degryse who studies the way in which the social negotiation has developed in the framework of Europe and the States that form it. What are the interactions between the national level (in the light of what is happening in Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands) and the European level? Are we witnessing a progressive convergence of negotiations? What may be brought by the European social dialogue…? These are a few of the questions to which the author works to bring answers that, sometime being militant, are no less pertinent. One of his conclusions is that social Europe will probably be regional Europe first. (MT)
*** GAETAN GORCE: L'agenda social européen: une nouvelle ambition pour l'Europe ? Délégation pour l'Union européenne 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° 2729. 2000, 71 pages, FF 20, EUR 3.05. ISBN 2-11-115073-8.
In this information report, the French MP Gaëtan Gorce analyses the social agenda put forward by the European Commission and approved by the Nice European Council. For the author, "through the scope and the unprecedented commitment, which characterises it", this five year action-plan constitutes a significant step in the Community building process and tries to outline the foundations of the European social model of tomorrow. The document presented by the previous French Presidency of the Council in order to enhance certain aspects and also review it. The latest document is published in the annex, as well as the stances of UNICE and ETUC. (MT)
*** ALAIN BARRAU: Stratégie communautaire pour l'emploi: le deuxième souffle. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (see details below). "Les documents d'information de l'Assemblée nationale" series, N° 2727. 2000, 60 pages, FF 20, EUR 3.05. ISBN 2-11-109993-7.
This other information report by a member of the EU delegation of the French National Assembly gauges the contribution of the Community strategy for employment, which was launched during the Luxembourg European Council in November 1997 and measures the new impetus given to it by the Heads of State and Government during their Lisbon meeting, in March of last year. Alain Barreau supports the guidelines for 2001 and the incentive measures for employment, which are its fruit. His verdict is globally positive, even if he feels that the employment situation requires another reinforcement of strategy. (MT)
*** Gaps in employment growth in services: Germany and United States in American-German comparative structural database. European Commission (Directorate General employment and social affairs, Unité EMPL/A.1). "Emploi & Fonds social européen" series. 2001, 35 pages.
This study identifies the sectors in which growth and the level of employment differ the most between the United States and Germany, analyses the intra-industrial and inter-sectoral distribution of wages, finally compares the professional content of the various sectors an focuses on services and by taking into account other variables such as sex, qualification and age. For its authors, the difference between employment in Germany (and in the Union in general) and in the United States results from the fact that the Americans dedicate more time to work than the Europeans and that as a result they demand more services with a high coefficient of labour for consumers. (MT)
*** HUBERT HAENEL: Vers des services publics "à l'européenne". Délégation pour l'Union européenne du Sénat (Espace Librairie du Sénat, 20 rue de Vaugirard, F-75006 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 42342121 - Internet: http: //http://www.senat.fr ). "Les Rapports du Sénat" series, N° 82. 2000, 78 pages, FF 25, EUR 3.81. ISBN 2-11-103240-9.
As is often the case, this information report by the French Senate makes the useful point over a European issue of importance and on the specific feelings that prevail, on this issue, in France. Its author analyses the Communication on general interest services in Europe, which the European Commission presented last September, in accordance with what was asked of it by the Lisbon European Council. After having recalled the terms of the debate relating to public services up to the Amsterdam Treaty (he thus discusses the ancient recognition of the specificity of companies responsible for a public service, but also the "questioning of networked public services through the creation of the Internal market), Senator Haenel dissects the text which, according to him, presents the situation in a balanced manner and outlines paths for future action, the "doctrinal appeasement" which is thus confirmed through this "globally balanced" text (though some Commission guidelines remain "concerning" or to be completed…) allow the author to put forward that the Union finally seems to be heading towards the definition and development of public services not more "French in style, but European"… (LD)
*** GERARD FUCHS: La défense et la promotion du service public dans l'Union européenne: une impérieuse nécessité. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (see details above). "Les documents d'information de l'Assemblée nationale" series, N° 2751. 2000, 25 pages, FF 20 , EUR 3.05. ISBN 2-11-109960-0.
In this information report, the French MP Gerard Fuchs notes that the Treaty of Rome and the Treaties that have modified it have granted more importance to the market and competition policy than to public services and policies for the reduction of inequalities. At the time when it is envisaged to accelerate the liberalisation of several sectors, he feels it necessary to define the role of public services according to a logic independent from the requirements of competition, this in order to turn it into a tool for the promotion of citizenship - including European - efficient and based upon guarantees for access to fundamental goods and services, whatever the level of revenue and the place of dwelling. (LD)
*** DIDIER BOULAUD: La poste en Europe. Avenir et garantie d'un service public. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (see details above). "Les documents d'information de l'Assemblée nationale" series, N° 2694. 2000, 72 pages, FF 20, EUR 3.05. ISBN 2-11-115056-8.
This report lead the Delegation to the European Union for the French National Assembly to challenge the reform of the 1997 Postal Directive, as it is envisaged by the European Commission. While stating that it is favourable towards a controlled development of postal services, the rapporteur denounces the excessively liberal nature of this proposal and the dangers that is presents for the future of universal postal services. It shows his attachment to a quality public service and opposes a total liberalisation with the deadline of 1 January 2007. (MT)
*** European unity, solidarity of the peoples', diversity of the territories. Second report on economic and social cohesion. Volumes I and II. European Commission (Office for the official publications of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg). 2001, 160 and 75 pages. ISBN 92-894-0573-2 et 92-894-0584-8.
Fruit of a fact finding and exploratory work undertaken by the services lead by Commissioners Barnier, Diamantopoulou and Fischler, this report (first date of 1996 and having rejected the basis of a reform of the Union regional policy, which has translated itself into the Agenda 2000) constitutes the first analysis of what would be the situation of the Member States and the regions of the EU in the perspective of economic and social cohesion, in an enlarged Europe. This is what Michel Barnier explains in its foreword, while adding that this document is also a solid basis to discuss what would be regional policy in this enlarged Europe. As, he underlines, regional policy has no vocation to disappear with enlargement: on the contrary, with the rise of disparities, it will find an additional legitimacy to act in the present Member States as in the future Member States, with the same principals and same ambitions. Would naturally draw no conclusion over the profile of cohesion policy after 2006, the report opens a discussion that develops proposals and detailed options. He also described the priorities of the Commission for broaching this wide-ranging debate. The first part of the report is dedicated to the situation and trends. The contribution by each of the Community policies (EMU, Internal market, competition…) is reviewed in the second part. The third tackles the budget and the contribution of structural policies towards economic and social cohesion. The second volume includes annexes of statistics, well illustrated. (MT)
*** JEAN-FRANCOIS VIDAL: Dépression et retour de la prospérité. Les économies européennes à la fin du XIXe siècle. L'Harmattan (5-7 rue de l'Ecole-Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40467920 - Fax: 43258203 - E-mail: harmat@worldnet.fr). "Logiques économiques" series. 2000, 320 pages, FF 130. ISBN 2-7384-9239-8.
Professor of economic sciences at the University of Paris 1 and specialist in economic crises in developing countries as well as the international transfer of data, Jean-François Vidal studies, in this work, the recovery from economic crises in the light of the depressions that marked the end of the 21st Century and that where followed by the golden years. His second aim is to cast light and explain the different trajectories followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy, as well as their unequal abilities to overcome the downward trends. The first part of the book presents the factors of a depression. It includes numerous analyses that have been made into the exhaustion of investment in infrastructure, the depression in agriculture and the long fall of prices and profits, punctuated by serious financial crises. The second part covers the exiting of crises. It first tackles the modifications to agriculture before analysing the factors of the recovery of investments: the interest rates and profits, the household consumption and external trade and financial relations. (MT)
*** ELLI ASSIMACOPOULOU: L'harmonisation de la fiscalité de l'épargne dans les pays de la Communauté. Librairie Générale de Droit et de Jurisprudence (31 rue Falguière, F-75741 Paris Cedex 15. Tel: (33-1) 46338985). "Bibliothèque de science financière" series, volume 37. 2000, 265 pages, FF 220, EUR 33.54. ISBN 2-275-01965-0.
Today a member of the Athens Bar and lecturer at the Panteion University of the same city, Elli Assimacopoulou presents, in this book, the thesis that won her the title of Doctor in law at the European University Institute in Florence. She starts with the realisation - largely set out in the first part of the work - that the competition between the Member States is extremely lively with regards to taxation of savings, that is to say in terms of company taxation (profits and dividends) and income tax in the form of interest on deposits and obligations. The question that presents itself now within the Union, is to know how to avoid distortions to competition favoured by disparate tax systems. Is it necessary to prefer the system of regulated competition or that of harmonisation? The readers of Agence EUROPE know full well the extent to which this issue divides the Member States. This issue, the author cuts without ambiguity: Elli Assimacopoulou prefers the virtues of harmonisation and she explains this through the dense pages. For her, it is the best way to remedy the "tax degradation" suffered by the Member States, development that condemns them to painfully increasing the taxation of salaried workers and spending. It is that it works towards demonstrating after having made the point and cast light, in a meticulous comparative analysis, on the legislation of the Member States in this highly sensitive area. (LD)
*** JOHN VOYEZ (Edited by): VAT in Europe. Tolley Publishing (2 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Surrey CR95AF, United Kingdom. Tel: (44-20) 86869141 - Fax: 86863155 - E-mail: order.line@butterworths.co.uk). 2000, 320 pages. ISBN 1-86012-938-2.
If this general guide dedicated to value added taxation is in its second edition, it is that it is interesting... VAT, it is true, is unavoidable and its implication for commercial activities are many, both in the member countries of the Union as in the candidate countries (Cyprus, Poland and Turkey are studied) and with the trading partners such as Norway and Switzerland. Produced by Nexia International, twelfth largest taxation network in the world, this guide does not claim to be exhaustive. Based on the 6th VAT Directive, it nevertheless constitutes a precious and very complete help for those who need to understand this tax, what it covers (people and taxable activities, exemptions, tax base and rates, special systems, administrative obligations, penalties…) and the way in which it fell in each of the twenty countries studied. This edition clearly shows how the Community rules may be interpreted in a different manner by each Member State and how… to compare them in terms of strategy and cost. Each chapter is divided into two parties, the first presenting the Community legislation and the second underlining the differences in interpretation and treatment. The work is updated until 30 April of last year. (GC)
*** Eipascope. Institut Européen d'Administration Publique (P.O. Box 1229, 6201 BE Maastricht, Netherlands. Tel: (31-43) 3296222 - Fax: 3296296 - Internet: http: //http://www.eipa.nl ). 2001, N° 1, 12 pages.
This issue includes articles dedicated to the Treaty of Nice, to the conditions required to make the accession negotiations a success, the prospects of the European common security and defence policy. Under the heading "Towards a federalism oat several levels?", Christian Engel analyses in particular the procedures and practices of the participation by regions in Community decision making processes.
*** Revue du marché commun et de l'Union européenne. Les Editions Techniques et Economiques (3 rue Soufflot, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 55426130 - Fax: 55426139). May 2001, N° 448, 65 pages. Annual subscription: FF 1,060 (France), FF 1,260 (abroad).
Robert Toulemon considers which Constitution for which Europe?, while Wolgang Dix explores new paths for reforming the European Union. Other themes tackled: Charter of fundamental rights and Convention, the preparation of the final transition to the Euro, the social side of the Stockholm European Council, Corsica in the EU, postal services between controlled liberalisation and preservation universal service...
*** Euro- info-UCL. Institut d'études européennes de l'Université catholique de Louvain (1 place des Doyens, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve. Tel: (32-10) 478550 - Fax: 478549). April 2001, N° 12, 27 pages.
"Euroscepticism of long ago it is heading towards indifference, or even direct hostility towards the European building process?: this is what wonders Prof. Michel Dumoulin in his editorial when adding that question of knowing if it should not, in 2001 as in 1929 (…) captivate Europe and transform it into a planned society".
*** Carrefour de l'économie. Ministère des Affaires économiques (6 rue de l'Industrie, B-1000 Brussels. Fax: (32-2) 5134657). 2001, N° 1/3A, 12 pages.
In summary: the energy market in EUROPE N.1999 and Seattle on year after: what prospects?"
*** Activités 2000 / Actions 2001. Eurochambres (5 rue Archimède, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2820850 - Fax: 2300038 - Internet: http: //http://www.eurochambres.be ). 2001, 31 pages.
This French- English bilingual publication presents the actions lead and considered by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which intend to committee themselves in the local economic development process through networked activities.
*** European Pulp and Paper. The Confederation of European Paper Industries (250 av. Louise, bte 80, B-1050 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 6274911 - Fax: 6468137 - Internet: http://www.cepi.org ). Avril 2001, 4 pages.
This newsletter focuses on renewable energy sources that exist in Europe and includes, among others, an interview with the European Parliamentarian Mechtild Rothe.