*** NANCY MORRIS, SILVIO WAISBORD (Ed.): Media and globalization. Why the state matters. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers (12 Hid's Copse Road, Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9JJ, England - 4720 Boston Way,Lanham, Maryland 20706. Internet: http: //http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com ). 2001, 197 pp. ISBN 0-7425-1030-1
The scientific debate that currently encompasses globalisation and its effects on media and sovereignty seem to be divided into two camps. The first slams decrepit sovereignty: "The appearance of transnational organisations, the unexpected global expansion of market economies, what has become the global capacity of military forces, the ability of new technology to eliminate borders and the consolidation of an international legal system will render the foundations of the nation state and the existence and protection of the concept of sovereignty obsolete ". The appearance of huge media groups, in this scenario, would be the final attack launched on sovereignty. The second camp has a more optimistic outlook, at the antipodes of the other in fact, whereby globalisation offers the option of providing everyone everywhere with better access to information.
Reacting against this dichotomy, the book attempts to take a new look at globalisation of the media in connection with the survival of the concept of sovereignty. One of the premises is a cross analysis of globalisation and state media. The contributors explore the role of the state in communication, its legislative role in a ever more global world. They highlight the various relationships maintained by the three bodies and while they take different positions over the question of the erosion of the state by globalisation, they share the belief that states always have to be considered as full-scale actors in media and telecommunications. In the first chapter, Douglas W. Vick explores the concept of sovereignty suggesting an updated version. He notes that the constantly increasing growth of new international treaties has not eclipsed the most tangible power of the state, the power to legislate. Of course it can't be denied that certain groups have an influence on this prerogative, but the authors demonstrate the extent to which exposure to this type of function differs according to the institutional culture of the country in question. In the fourth chapter, Nikhil Sinha describes the case of India, a country where liberalisation has opened the markets to omnivorous companies. The author stresses the systematic existence of counter-examples, in this case the measures taken by the European Union to restrict AOL-Time Warner's freedom of movement. Apart from the fact that it automatically protects a number of market players, this protection also has the effect of preserving culture, maintaining the feeling of belonging to a community or even acting as a vehicle of democracy. In the second chapter, Robert B. Horwitz describes against this backdrop the introduction of democracy in South Africa. That said, importing foreign media is sometimes considered a danger for national cultural identity, explains Philip Schlesinger in the sixth chapter. Stephen MacDowell describes the quota theory in Canada, along with its limits and its legitimisation elements. In chapter six, he makes parallels with similar scenarios elsewhere, such as in the European Union.
Continuing with the argumentation, Daeho Kim and Seok-Kyeong Hongen make a comparative analysis of the success of foreign films in different countries, focussing on South Korea, noting that in Canada, France Japan and South Korea only a small proportion of the films broadcast on cable are foreign which proves that the policies implemented by governments are certainly still very effective. QED?
Alain Dremière
*** BORIS LIBOIS: La communication publique. Pour une philosophie politique des médias. L'Harmattan (5-7 rue de l'Ecole Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris). "Communication et Civilisation" series. 2002, 350 pp, 29 euros. ISBN: 2-7475-22-97-0.
Member of the Political Theory Centre at the Université libre de Bruxelles and Vice-President of Belgium's Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, Boris Libois starts off by remarking that public opinion has become separated from the media system. In other words, there is a feeling that listeners' expectations are not being taken into account and the author attempts to solve this problem, the decoupling of the media from public opinion. He raised this issue in the past when publishing two previous works ("Ethique de l'information" and "Essai sur la déontologie journalistique", published by the Université libre de Bruxelles). This particular book completes his work to update the notion of public service and communication, with a meta-national, post-state perspective that touches on the intimate link between democracy and the public arena. As Jean-Marc Ferry notes in the preface, the author attempts to put forward elements that could be a unifying force with the right to communication that, in the current state of play, still remains to be systematised.
Boris Libois sets out a four-pillar argument. The first pillar is a reflection on now the public arena is structured in the here and now. He places his study in the context of an apparent weakening on the state, new audiovisual genres, deadlocks in the building of Europe, the transformation of contemporary law, the political representation crisis, integration in a multicultural society, the inefficiency of traditional public services, international civic fora and failing education systems. In the second, he carries out an investigation through the history of philosophy, or more exactly through the idea of "freedom" that he adapts and enriches, travelling a well and broadly sign-posted route with references ranging from administrative law to German metaphysics, from the sociology of the media to political philosophy, from legal theory to formal semiotics, meeting Léon Duguit, Hans Kelsen, Kant, Hegel along with Tocqueville, Charles S. Pierce, Jürgen Habermas and Niklas Luhmann en route. In this way, Boris Libois manages to set out the determining role of the public space, dominated by the media system.. The book thereby helps fill the democratic deficit of legitimacy that the European project is faced with. He proposes an alternative to the globalised view in that he provides a structured response to the uncertainties caused by the movement, stripped of any nostalgia.
(AD)
*** MATHIAS ALBERT, LOTHAR BROCK, KLAUS DIETER WOLF (Ed.): Civilizing world politics. Society and Community beyond the State. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers (see above). 2000, 276 pp. ISBN 0-8476-9803-3.
This book brings together contributions from scientists of various backgrounds who discuss international relations using a new concept to feed the analysis: "global society" transcending the nation state and incorporating various communities, including non-governmental organisations. Albert Mathias and Lothar Brock describe the new arenas supported by the institutions, thereby outstripping what they describe as the world of states. George Sorensen follows in their wake, updating the concept of state in a provocatively entitled essay "States are not like units - types of state and forms of anarchy in today's international system". Christoph Weller lingers over the notion of identity in the global society, while Emmanuel Richter attempts a methodological exploration of communities formed in what he terms the "global network", while Klaus Dieter Wolf wonders whether the new concept of the state is gradually turning into international cooperation against companies. The essayists finally launch into the problem of governance. Jurgen Neyer compares the phenomenon of democratisation with representation, while Himar Schmidt and Ingo Take deal with governance at various levels in the framework of the European Union and its Member States.
(AD)
*** RIK COOLSAET: La Politique extérieure de la Belgique. Au cœur de l'Europe, le poids d'une petite puissance. De Boeck & Larcier (distributed by: 4 Fond Jean-Pâques, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve. Tel: (32-10) 482500 - Fax: 482519 - E-mail: acces+@deboeck.be). 2002,391 pp, 34.95 euros. ISBN 2-8041-3975-1.
In the preface, Belgian foreign minister Louis Michel describes this as a "daring book" because it follows the history of the small group of people who have determined Belgium's foreign policy for the past fifty years. Professor of international politics at Ghent University (and head of cabinet for defence and… foreign ministers) Rik Coolsaet concentrates political, economic and ideological energies and meshes the national and international dimension, projecting into this balance of forces the public figures who have taken or will take the political decisions and put them into operation. An useful, insightful analysis!
(MT)
*** JEAN-MARIE WAREGNE: La Conférence ministérielle de l'OMC à Doha. Le cycle du développement. Centre de Recherche et d'Information Socio-Politiques (1A place Quetelet, B-1210 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2110180 - Fax: 2197934 - E-mail: crisp@cfwb.be). "Courrier hebdomadaire" series, No 1739-1740. 2001, 88 pp, 12.40 euros.
The November 1999 failure of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle provided a tangible revelation of the emergence of developing countries in the multilateral trading system and the emergence of their demands, often supported by non-governmental organisations both the North and the South. The first part of this CRISP "Courrier hebdomadaire" reviews issues leftover or emerging from the failed Seattle summit - agriculture, the implementation of various basic WTO agreements, trade and investment, trade and competition, access to medicine, etc. Preparing the way for Doha, specific intensely-worked documents were prepared on each of these issues. The author is a Belgian expert working for Belgium's representation at the WTO. He analyses the positions of the various stakeholders - developing countries (which have shown themselves to be very united since Seattle), the EU and the US. Jean-Marie Warêgne then reconstructs major moments in the very tense negotiations that led the Doha Summit to be extended for a day last November. In the last part, the author provides information on the subjects of future negotiations, analysing in particular access to medicines in developing countries, using the examples of South Africa, India and Brazil.
(MT)
*** BEATRICE MARRE: Les parlements et l'OMC: une place à conquérir. La préparation de la rencontre parlementaire de Doha. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (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", No 3351. 2001, 37 pp, 3.05 euros. ISBN 2-11-115205-6.
The Seattle fiasco led to an ever greater awareness of the scale of globalisation and, in parallel, to citizens' concern at the rising power of non-governmental organisations. This report by a Member of the French National Assembly's Délégation pour l'Union européenne describes the rise to power of parliaments from Seattle in 1999 to Doha last November. The author analyses the political need for a parliamentary presence in the arena where today's free-market and tomorrow's regulated globalisation pans out…
(LD)
*** ALAIN BARRAU: L'Assemblée nationale et l'OMC: compte rendu de mandat. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (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", No 3429. 2002, 66 pp, 3.50 euros. ISBN 2-11-115037-1.
This report by the President of the French National Assembly's Délégation pour l'Union européenne (who also happens to be one of the most prolific rapporteurs and is now active in the Convention) considers the work carried out by the Délégation on the subject of the WTO. He also assesses the French government's attempts to get parliament involved in multilateral trade negotiations with the objective, explains Alain Barrau, of monitoring progress in the negotiations the agenda of which was adopted at Doha.
(LD)
*** Petites affiches. Les Journaux judiciaires associés (2 rue de Montesquieu, F-75001 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 42615614 - Fax: 47039202 - E-mail: diffusion@petites-affiches.com - Internet: http://www.petites-affiches.com ). February 2002, No 38, 55 pp, 7.60 euros.
This most recent issue of the "Dossiers de l'Europe" published by "Petites affiches" focuses on e-commerce and includes an interview with Commissioner Liikanen. There are also articles on the electronic signature directive, the internal market legal policy for the information society and the EU's activity in the international arena. Ana Palacio puts forward some exercises for the legal imagination in terms of the relations between Community law and the information society. The "Dossiers de l'Europe" aim to be intelligently educational, giving the institutions' point of view but also the views of various stakeholders on the main challenges facing the main Community policies. Earlier dossiers covered issues like competition, international trade, the environment, research, industrial property, taxation, social Europe, the single market and the euro in terms of consumers and companies - all interesting publications from the information and teaching point of view.
(MT)
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985, Luxembourg) has published the following document:
*** Cordis Focus. DG Enterprise (Fax: (352-4301) 32084 - E-mail: innovation@cec.eu.int - Internet: http://www.cordis.lu/news ). 20 May 2002, No 197, 23 pp.
This issue looks as the Commission's working document on funding proposals for research infrastructure in FP6 and comments on expectations concerning the proposals. Cordis Focus also looks at the compromise the institutions have reached concerning the Programme. DG Research is inviting reactions to its proposals for the ERA-NET project, the main co-operation and co-ordination support system in the FP6. Other issues covered: fewer priorities for the new eEurope action plan and Spain's continuing pressure regarding a European Research and Innovation Area.
*** EPHA Annual Review. 2000 and 2001. European Public Health Alliance (33 rue de Pascale, B-1040 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2303056 - Fax: 2333880 - E-mail: epha@epha.org - Internet: http: //http://www.epha.org ). 2002, 22 pp.
The European Public Health Alliance was set up in 1994 as an umbrella group of public healthcare European NGOs that promotes consultation and cooperation between NGOs, the European Commission and the European Parliament. This annual review for 2000 and 2001 focuses on work to raise the profile of public health care in Europe, starting with the incorporation of this area as a priority in the Treaties.
*** European Public Health Update. European Public Health Alliance (see above). March/April 2002, No 61. 29 pp.
This issue of European Public Health Update focuses on sustainable development and health ahead of the World Sustainable Development Summit in Johannesburg at the end of August where the EU is preparing to play an important role in the light of the Lannoye report, adopted by the European Parliament on 16 May, which wants a better balance to be struck between economic, trading, social and environmental interests. The publication covers a wide variety of areas in this connection, asking Jan Pronk, the outgoing Dutch Environment Minister about Europe's role; an interview with Gaudenz Silberschmidt of the International Association of Doctors for the Environment and resources for health and sustainable development.
*** Alternatives internationales. Alternatives économiques and Télérama (12 rue du Cap-Vert, F-21800 Quétigny. Tel: (33-3) 80489540 - E-mail: abonnement@alternative-internationales.fr - Internet: http://www.alternatives-internationales.fr ). April-April 2002, No 1, 66 pp, 4.90 euros. Annual subscription (Europe): 31 euros.
This is the first issue of a new magazine created to meet the need to question the world we're living in which is facing more and more challenges, ranging from regulating finance to the greenhouse effect, via food safety, terrorism and organised crime. The first dossier, "Should we be afraid of the United States? Journey to the heart of American power" is followed by issues such as the partition of India in 1947 and its bloody after-effects in the present day, Robert Mugabe's attempts to cling to power in Zimbabwe, an open letter to the supporters of sovereignty, the high-risk elections in Madagascar, South Africa's AIDS policy, the Burmese military junta pretend reforms, healthy trade between China and Taiwan, focussing on security in EU-Maghreb relations, Iraq as the US target and Saddam Hussein, the tower of rebellious Babel in Porto Alegre and a dossier on the specific and varied nature of the Albanian people …
*** La Lettre du CEPII. Centre d'études prospectives et d'information internationales (9 rue Georges-Pitard, F-75015 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 53685514 - Fax: 53685503 - Internet: http: //http://www.cepii.fr ). March 2002, No 210. 4 pp. Annual subscription: 47.50 euros.
The main subject of this issue is the competitiveness of French industry against the backdrop of Europe that notes that since 1997, the pepped up growth of the French economy has given rise to greater employment and that this would be of concern if it affected productivity. French companies, however, keep a lid on their costs with the results that at the end of the 1990s, has higher productivity than Germany or the UK, despite the latter countries having lower costs.