*** PHILIPPE C. SCHMITTER: How to Democratize the European Union… and Why Bother? Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (4720 Boston Way, Lanham, Maryland 20706. Tel: (1-800) 4626420 - Internet: http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com ). "Governance in Europe" series. 2000, 150 pp. ISBN 0-8476-9905-6.
This book by a US academic (who is now teaching political and social sciences at the European University Institute in Florence) reached the European Library by a circuitous route. The book enables him to resonate with the Convention on the Future of Europe and throw the author's ideas into the full flood of current events that he hadn't envisaged, while at the same time providing a new look at the Convention's mission. From the first few lines of the introduction Philippe C. Schmitter admits that he is convinced that the European Union has neither the political will nor the organic need for democracy right now, and it would be better for it to continue to gradually apply the Monnet method, one step at a time. With this in mind, he puts forward modest proposals that could improve (without the need for a constitutional revolution) the pillars of modern democracy, namely citizenship, representation and the decision-making process. He feels such democratisation is vital because of monetary union and the next round of enlargement to the east, but he doesn't see it happening as a result of citizen pressure. On this, the very calling of the Convention itself by the highest ranking politicians in the Member States proves him wrong, as long, that is, as the MPs who numerically dominate at the Convention prove over the next few months to be reliable and effective relays of European civil society (or societies)…
First of all, Philippe Schmitter considers what form Eurodemocracy should take. In his view, the EU is definitely a regime (in the sense of a governance system) although not a democratic regime. One of the vital questions to be answered is whether the super-national authorities are sufficiently capable to taking application decisions that are legitimate and effective. He sees the EU's democratic status as ambiguous in that, for example, the electorate voting in European elections does not have the opportunity to choose between groups presenting alternative political programmes at EU level, and their votes have no bearing on the composition of the European authorities. He observes that it is impossible to translate a majority vote by the European electorate as a whole into effective change in terms of either government or policy, adding that the EU's situation can be likened to German democracy but functioning only with the Bundesrat and not the Bundestag. As for citizens' representatives, he argues that it would be difficult for them to claim to represent all European citizens since there are very few of them who do not pursue a domestic political career at the same time. Which leads him to argue (much to the delight of many an Alain Lamassoure) that what is lacking is professional politicians representing transnational interests and passions.
Philippe Schmitter then describes various dilemmas that have to be solved within the context of the democratisation process, two of which accompany any democratic consolidation process. Firstly, agreement has to be reached over institutions that benefit from both the consent of politicians and the assent of citizens. Striking this balance is a particularly fraught affair at European level because of the fact that political leaders only live through their national roots, which makes the author fear that they will succumb to the temptation to agree, in view of their national interests, to arrangements that are unsatisfactory in terms of defending democratic ideas at the European level. It is up to the Convention to demonstrate that people do not need to fear this. The second horizontal dilemma results from the fact that support for democracy comes from citizens' expectations in terms of improving their living conditions, which means that politicians have to pay attention to existing inequalities and promise to do something about them. This problem traces its way at European level given the project's diversity and size and also the heterogeneity of preferences and tolerances of inequality across Member States. European democracy must clearly be formed on the basis of already existing communities, while citizens' expectations with regard to Europe are not as clear-cut as in terms of their nation states, and politicians can dig in behind the principles of subsidiarity to protect the local status quo or national set-up from interference from a Euro-democracy that is anxious to gloss over specific differences on behalf of general interest. The results of the Convention will have to be able to judged from this perspective.
The author finally goes on to discuss how Eurodemocracy should be configured. As far as he is concerned, thinking of it as some kind of federal entity would be inappropriate, counterproductive even, given the extent to which the gap is widening between functional powers and the geographical areas in which authority is exercised. Hence he believes that Europe could crystallise out into a new political form. Either a consortium bringing together Member States in an irreversible manner within defined geographical borers, but with each one taking on specific political responsibilities, turning it into a kind of variable geometry Europe. Or a condominium (Europe à la carte) which would give rise to more than one Europe - including on the Institutional front - depending on the policy in question. It goes without saying that these ideas send shivers down the spines of many people. It will be up to the Convention to ensure that they are not realised!
Michel Theys
*** Gli enti regionali e locali nella Governance europea. Autonomie regionali e locali con l'Europa. Centro In Europa (7/5 via Ippolito d'Aste, I-16121 Genoa). November 2001, 36 pp.
On the initiative of the Genoa-based "In Europa" association, and with support from various quarters, the project "Local Authorities with Europe" surveyed a selection of local and regional government officials in Italy and France. The survey was divided into four sections and aimed to poll the officials' views on the future of Europe, their training and information requirements on European issues, their public information campaigns and their views of the concrete experiments carried out at Community level. The results of the survey are published in this issue of "In Europa", revealing a more dynamic response in Italy than in France. Italian local government officials believe they are better informed than their French counterparts, but both nations feel there is a crying need for more information. Both the French and the Italians say that citizens are not very well informed about European issues. The second part of the review looks at the July 2001 European Commission White Paper on European Governance.
(CB)
*** GABRIELE TONDL: Convergence After Divergence? Regional Growth in Europe. Springer Verlag (4-6 Sachsenplatz, A-1201 Vienna. Tel: (43-1) 3302415-0 - Fax: 3302426 - E-mail: springer@springer.at - Internet: http: //http://www.springer.at ). 2001, 347 pp, 86 euros. ISBN 3-211-83672-1.
This both empirical and theoretical study by an economist from Vienna Wirtschaftsuniversität who specialises in growth theories and European integration issues, is aimed at researchers in the areas of growth and regional policies. Issues of coherence, convergence and economic inequality between the various regions of the EU are examined in detail with many theoretical and statistical references. The author takes account of developments in the last forty years and presents a huge amount of comparative food for thought. Gabriele Tondl concludes that many disadvantaged regions on the edges of the EU have progressed economically over time, especially with the huge increase in Community aid, but that regional differences still exist.
(PB)
*** JOSEF SCHEFF: Learning Regions. Regional Networks as an Answer to Global Challenges. Peter Lang (Frankfurt am Main). 2001, 236 pp. ISBN 3-631-36971-9.
Translated from German, this book by a researcher at the Karl Franzens University in Graz, Austria, pertinently explores the contribution the regions can make to economic development, given that economic development can no longer be the preserve of nation states alone, nor simply relinquished at the supranational level through the European Union.
(LD)
*** Les collectivités territoriales non-étatiques dans le système juridique international. Editions Pedone (13 rue Soufflot, Paris). "Journée d'études de la Société française pour le droit international" series. 2002, 208 pp, 20 euros. ISBN 2-233-00389-6.
This book publishes the proceedings of a study day organised in April 2001 by the Société française pour le droit international at the Université des Antilles et de la Guyane on the phenomenon of non-state bodies surging forward in the current context of international relations, particularly in terms of globalisation. The first part of the study day looked at the international activity of non-state geographical bodies, with the participants focussing on changes in relations between authorities and their contribution to the formation of international law. Then the issue of how these authorities are taken into account by international law is assessed in the light of the scope of application of the Treaties, the attention paid by these universal organisations to these authorities and the latter's position with regard to international liability law. Against this backdrop, the relation between these bodies and Europe (the European Union, but also the Council of Europe) area also discussed. For example, Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin (Université de Paris X) analyses the role played by these infrastate structures in the framework of the EU, while Professor Hélène Ruiz Fabri (Université Paris I and a member of the Institut universitaire de France) discusses whether one can talk of local freedoms in the context of the Council of Europe. Debate on the issue of whether it is appropriate to consider these authorities as being subject to international law runs throughout the book.
(MT)
*** WILLY KRAUS, PAUL TRAPPE (Ed.): Nachhaltige räumliche Entwicklung auf dem europäischen Kontinent - Interdisziplinäre Ansätze. Peter Lang (15 Jupiterstrasse, Postfach 277, CH-3000 Berne 15 - E-mail: info@peterlang.com). "Social Strategies" series, No. 32. 2000, 458 pp, 89 Swiss francs. ISBN 3-90676625-X.
This book outlines the proceedings of an international conference at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on the sustainable territorial development of the European continent. The conference was organised by the European Faculty of land use science and the multidisciplinary union for socio-economic development, and the proceedings take the form of 26 contributions in either German, English or French. The conference was set against the backdrop of the pan-European biodiversity and landscape strategy and the Council of Europe's landscape convention. The contributions consider the situation in several countries in Europe (Austria, Greece, Hungary, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK and Turkey), and also covers the situation in sub-Saharan Africa and countries as diverse as China, Egypt, Morocco and Vietnam.
(CB)
*** MARCO FADDA, FRANCESCO MONTEMURRO: Fondi UE e svilluppo locale. Ruolo degli enti locali e guida alle opportunità offerte da Agenda 2000, programmazione negoziata, sostegno all'imprenditoria, politiche attive del lavoro e strumenti di riqualificazione urbana. Il Sole 24 Ore (52 via Paolo Lomazzo, I-20154 Milan. E-mail: servizioclienti.libri@ilsole24ore.com - Internet: http: //http://www.shopping24.ilsole24ore.com ). 2001, 595 pp. ISBN 88-324-4229-9.
The book looks in detail and with great clarity at activity to support and make the most of the local economy, stressing the importance of the various levels of government in both national and Community terms in the decision-making process for such activity and also in its implementation. In the first part, the authors outline the role of the various stakeholders in the process of programming economic development, from the European Union's bodies to local authorities and area-specific development agencies. The second part takes a critical look at the main characteristics and intervention measures of Agenda 2000 up until 2006. The last part focuses on local development instruments.
(CB)
*** Cahiers de la Fondation pour une civilisation européenne. Fondation pour une Histoire de la Civilisation européenne (11 rue de Bellechasse, F-75007 Paris). 1999, No. 4, 279 pp. ISBN 2-84100-160-1.
After Cahiers (Notes) on European identity, Europe of the regions and how modern communication technology is impacting on European society, the latest Cahiers outline the proceedings of a conference chaired by Mario Soares, looking at the role of cities in the European project and in the perspective of the euro. It gives a general view before looking at specific problems (transport, communication, social integration, culture and education) and described the situation at the time (the conference was held back in 1998) in Madrid, Lyons, Geneva, Lausanne, Issy-les-Moulineaux and Divonne. The book rounds off with a description of the European Union's urban policy.
(MT)
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985, Luxembourg) has published the following documents:
*** Cordis focus. DG Enterprise (Fax: (352-4301) 32084 - E-mail: innovation@cec.eu.int - Internet: http://www.cordis.lu/news ). 25 March 2002, No 193, 27 pp. Free subscription.
The first page of this issue notes that the Research Council has given a "positive response" to the 2010 target for companies' R&D investment. It also explains that the Barcelona European Council decided to increase R&D spending an called for specific action in the fields of the Information Society and education. The magazine outlines the assurances that Director General Achilleas Mitsos has given the candidate countries - they will not face a disadvantage with regard to the new instruments proposed for the 6th FP or as a result of their individual situation when they fully participate in the programme.
*** Innovation & Technology Transfer. DG Enterprise (EUFO 2286, L-2920 Luxembourg. Fax: (+352 - 4301) 32084 - E-mail: innovation@cec.eu.int - Internet: http://www.cordis.lu/it/itt-en/home.html ). March 2002, No 2, 31 pp. Free subscription.
Published in five languages (German, English, French, Spanish and Italian), this brochure explains that when it comes to competitiveness, Europe has some way to go with regard to the United States in terms of becoming the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. Other areas covered include the cities of Europe as forums of innovation culture, public sector guarantees for innovation startups, information about how Swedish knowhow helped get a Bulgarian furniture manufacturer out of a tight spot, and multinational technology transfer in the field of renewable energy.
*** ACP-EU Newsletter. DG Development (Fax: (32-2) 2993002 - Internet: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/development/publicat/courier). January-February 2002, No. 190, 88 pp.
Contents include: a dossier on oil with articles on the new challenges facing oil companies in Africa, central Africa as an oil industry centre of development, the Doba-Kribi pipeline and the forgotten people, the Pygmies, Colonel Khadafi, energy, governance and human rights, and Norway's experiment with oil. This issue also contains a detailed analysis of the Democratic Republic of Congo and articles on post-Doha WTO, the death of Senghor, the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly and the impact of the euro in ACP countries.
*** Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): the significance of gene flow through pollen transfer. European Environment Agency (6 Kongens Nytorv 6, DK-1050 Copenhagen K. Tel: (45-33) 367100 - Fax: 367199 - E-mail: eea@eea.eu.int - Internet: http: //http://www.eea.eu.int ). 2002, No. 28, 75 pp, 16 euros. ISBN 92-9167-411-7.
The report provides a further demonstration of the European Environment Agency's determination to provide the highest level of information possible in its Expert's Corner series, with the aim of contributing to enabling decisions to be taken in full knowledge of the subject in question. This time, genetic transfer is examined in great detail. Six different genetically modified organisms are looked into in depth using recent research in an attempt to outline their impact in terms of agriculture and their potential in terms of the environment.
*** La Lettre des confrontations (41 rue Emile Zola, F-93107 Montreuil Cedex. Tel: (33-1) 49884194 - Fax: 49881184 - E-mail: confrontations@wanadoo.fr - Internet: http://www.confrontations.org ). February-March 2002, 28 pp, 4.60 euros. Subscription: 23 euros.
This newsletter is celebrating ten years of existence. This issue looks at the debate on the future of Europe, the Europe of our desires, the Europe of the public services, Berlusconi's Italy and Europe (interview with Bruno Trentin MEP), the debate surrounding pension funds, the crisis in Argentina, the financial markets, and the outcome of an SNCF conference on the future of public services.
*** Cyprus News. February-March 2002. Brussels. The first page covers Jose Maria Aznar's statement that decision on Cyprus' accession to the EU would be taken in full independence of the Cyprus question.