*** ANTONIO FORESI, MARIO SENSINI: L'ABC dell'Europa. Città Nuova Editrice (265 via degli Scipioni, I-00192 Rome. Tel: (39-06) 3216212 - E-mail: comm.editrice@cittanuova.it) and Rai Eri (14 viale Mazzini, I-00195 Rome. E-mail: rai-eri@rai.it - Internet: http://www.eri.rai.it ). 2002, 316 pp, 16.5 euros. ISBN 88-397-1207-0.
This "European dictionary" starts, under letter A, by defining formulae such as "a cerchi concentrici","a geometria variabile", "à la carte", taking readers straight back to one of the big debates in recent years (which is still raging), and in particular to Jacques Delors' idea of very quickly reorganising (in a pan-European dimension) the continent's political area following the fall of the Berlin Wall. The dictionary ends with the word "zucchero", on the European organisation of the sugar market. But the previous word captures the intentions of this book very well. Wanting to be a useful book, it is far from an arid, neutral dictionary. In fact under "zingarate", one of its authors, Antonio Foresi, correspondent on Italian television (TG1) from 1976 to 2001, recounts in very personal tones his years of being a nomad across Europe and also (mentioning the first names of his colleagues from different countries who took part in this European circus over the years) the often necessary solidarity and mutual support over and above any rivalry among these journalists covering "Brussels", who are confronted on a daily basis with the reality of each Member State. This spirit of cooperation is tangibly reflected in the dictionary since Antonio Foresi and Mario Sensini (correspondent in Brussels for the economic and financial press agency Radiocor from 1996 to 2000, and correspondent in Rome since then for La Stampa) have decided to call on the experience of some of their former colleagues in various locations, former colleagues from Brussels who have since moved on to Rome, Moscow, Berlin, Washington and Athens.
This ABC of Europe inevitably has a slight Italian flavour since the odyssey of certain personalities is mentioned in greater detail than others - for example, Altiero Spinelli, Renato Ruggiero, and former Italian Agriculture Minister Giovanni Marcora and Vice-President of the European Commission Lorenzo Natali (so highly appreciated by President Delors and to whom Antonio Foresi dedicates souvenirs both rich in information and highly affectionate).
The preface by the President of the Italian Senate, Marcello Pera, under the heading "Europe: discussions on the method", calls for a gradual, pragmatic approach to European integration which he sees as being the best approach in terms of convincing eurosceptics. "If we want to be utopian, we should advance carefully" and "avoid falling in love with grand designs, great models" which run the risk of causing divisions and tensions, believes Marcello Pera. One cannot avoid noticing a degree of contrast with the European enthusiasm expressed on many pages of this book, which Antonio Foresi calls a "sui generis" dictionary.
Marina Gazzo
*** CECA - EKSF - EGKS - EKAX - ECSC - EHTY - EKSG 1952-2002. Cinquante ans de Communauté européenne du charbon et de l'acier, trente-quatre témoignages. European Communities (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Tel: (352) 2929 42455 - Fax: 29242758 - E-mail: info-info-opoce@cec.eu.int). 2002, 287 pp, 30 euros. ISBN 92-894-2071-5.
On 23 July 2002, the European Coal and Steel Community left current events pages to take its final position in the pages of History after a formal ceremony organised at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels (EUROPE reported widely on this event on the following days). Both sobre and moving, enriched with beautiful photgraphs from the time, this very handsome book commemorates the ending of the first Community Treaty. As Romano Prodi stresses in his introduction, one only has to re-read the preamble to the ECSC founding Treaty to realise that all the drafts of the political Europe in the making were already set out in it and that it is only in a formal sense that the page has been turned today since basically, the entire edifice of the grand European project remains not only a fundamental element of the global panorama, but also retains its dynamic characteristic and continues to develop ever further. The book contains thirty-four eye-witness reports on this unchronicled, unusual and frankly revolutionary experiment, the first pages of which were penned by Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet. German President Johannes Rau, the Presidents of the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Commissioners from today and yesteryear (Loyola de Palacio, Philippe Busquin, Etienne Davignon, Ana Diamantopoulou, Erkki Liikanen, Mario Monti, Viviane Reding, Jacques Santer, Yves-Thibault de Silguy, and more), trade unionists, academics and players in the field all provide a tribute, in their own language, to the first European Community, ranging between "nostalgia and gratitude" as Etienne Davignon so neatly describes it. (MT)
*** GERARD ROUSSELOT-PAILLEY: Guide to the European Union 2001-2002. An Overview of Current Issues. Roupater (41 rue de la Mutualité, B-1190 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 3477671 - Fax: 3477674 - E-mail: gerard.rousselot@chello.be - Internet: europa-information.net). 2002, 299 pp, 40 euros.
This is an ambitious project - an overview of changes in various aspects of the EU's activity in 2001, setting out programmes, forecasts and ambitions for 2002. In each of the broad chapters the author also gives brief but detailed background information to clarify the challenges. Gérard Rousselot has been closely following European affairs in a professional guise since 1969, first as a reporter, then as director and editor of various publications. In this guide, he does not simply provide information on the various subject areas, but often gives his own opinion in a sometimes unconventional manner (stressing, for example, the failure of the Euro-Mediterranean policy).
The second part of the book is made up of documents, from the Laeken Declaration of December 2001 until the programme of the Spanish Presidency of the Council in the first half o 2002, via several documents from the Commission and elsewhere. It is not always easy to find such documents assembled in a single location and it is useful to have them within reach, cross-referenced to chapters in the book (via subject matter, in other words). This is clearly a useful guide. (FR) (FR)
*** Quaderni di Studi Europei. Europa e politica internazionale: nuovi orizzonti della diplomazia italiana. Giuffrè Editore (40 via Busto Arsizio, I-20151 Milan. Internet: http: //http://www.giuffre.it ). 2002, 121 pp, 9.50 euros. ISBN 88-14-09422-5.
This "Notebook" from the "Scuola di Specializzazione in Diritto ed Economia delle Comunità europee" series coordinated by Prof. Antonio Tizzano ("La Sapienza" University of Rome) is the fruit of an initiative described by Stefano Baldi in the introduction as being very simple, but rarely until now brought together in a systematic manner, namely bringing the diplomatic world and academia together for an exchange of knowledge and views. In the first chapter, the same author explains the structure and tools of the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry (before Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi became both Foreign Affairs Minister and Prime Minister in January and insisted on new and profound changes to the Farnesina...). The other chapters cover quite disparate themes - the impact of the Nice Treaty, asylum and immigration policy, monetary policy, the challenge of the information society, the European education area, security policy and cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations for the prevention and management of conflict… (MG) (MG)
*** PASCAL DELWIT (Ed): Libéralisme et partis libéraux. Editions de l'Université libre de Bruxelles (26 avenue Paul Héger, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 6503792- Fax: 6503794 - Internet: http: //http://www.editions-universite-bruxelles.be - Mail: editions@admin.ulb.ac.be). Institut de sociologie. 2002, 216 pp. ISBN: 2-8004-1279-3, 22€
The role of the poor relations in political liberalism's scientific literature, and liberal parties in particular, is explained by the nature of "liberalism" itself, a not very appropriate term that the authors dissect in their essays. Pascal Delwit considers the monolithic nature of the movement and based on a historical analysis, the book also describes liberal formations in the Member States, revealing the lack of liberal formations in the European liberal, democratic and reform party. A.D.
*** PASCAL LAMY: L'Europe en première ligne. Seuil (Paris. Internet: http://www.seuil.com ). 2002, 17 euros. ISBN 2-02-055025-3.
What do European Commissioners do with their time once they've finished checking the curve of bananas and measuring the size of peas? This is the anguished question no doubt posed by Europeans reading some parts of the media or listening to professional eurosceptics. Well, this book by the European Commissioner responsible for the EU's foreign trade policy, Pascal Lamy, answers their question. How? Because it doesn't attempt to add another essay to the ranks of existing essays on the meaning of the European project, its aims and how it operates, but simply explains with energy and verve what Commissioners do, together with the how and why. Battles, tough negations, moments of anxiety and moments of satisfaction. The three goals of the battles he relates are as follows:
Firstly, organising the management of globalisation by introducing disciplines and putting forward social, environmental and agricultural considerations in global trade negotiations. At first sight, these are the same objectives that anti-globalisation protesters claim to pursue but with one difference - the latter use violence and are not concerned about the real needs of poor countries, while the path followed by Pascal Lamy is diplomacy, negotiations and conviction, thereby achieving real results to everyone's benefit. Secondly, getting the EU to fully open its borders to products from the poorest countries in order to alleviate their foreign debt and enable them to get more from globalisation. Finally, winning from the pharmaceutical goliaths an easing in the protection of their patented products so that poor countries can take advantage of medicines for hefty world diseases like AIDS under conditions within their reach.
The above are three examples but there are others in this book which is far from what one would normally expect from an essay on Europe. In the preface the well-known novellist Erik Orsenna explains that the answer to the question of what is the point of Europe is found in the book, an anthology of true stories. "Probably nobody has ever related the wheels of negotiations so well from the inside. Never described in such detail the ferocious clash of interests". The characters in the events described are Jiang Zemin, the Chinese President; former US President Bill Clinton (and his "Seattle gaffe"); United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan; and ministers heads of state of EU countries. This books lifts the veil to some extent from the mystery of the European Union and the reality of its daily activity, in the place of the balderdash and tall tales that too often get through to public opinion. (FR)
*** PAUL MAGNETTE (Ed.): La constitution de l'Europe. Editions de l'Université libre de Bruxelles (26 avenue Paul Héger, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 6503792- Fax: 6503794 - Internet: http: //http://www.editions-universite-bruxelles.be - Mail: editions@admin.ulb.ac.be). "Etudes européennes". 2002, 216 pp. ISBN: 2-8004-1279-3, 22€
Fifty years of history have brought Europe to a turning point in its history. Little by little, it is getting ready to extend its borders, reform its institutions and redefine its economic and social model. Against this backdrop, it seems logical for the idea of a constitution to resurface. "Leading French and German politicians have launched a constitutional debate that is being widely discussed" fed by a multitude of fundamental issue, concerning the method first of all. How can one provide the EU with a constitution when it does not have the vocation of becoming a state? Should one establish a radically new text arising from reforming the European Union, or should one less ambitiously bring to the light the implicit constitution handed down by half a century of integration? Other issues concern the possible content of the text. What will be the founding principles of the EU and what rights will citizens be granted? Will the existing institutional arrangements satisfy the constitutional ambitions of the time or should they be amended to achieve greater democracy and efficiency? How can the EU pursue common objectives while preserving the identity of its states and peoples? All these questions are covered by the contributors (political analysts, lawyers and philosophers) in the two parts of the book. In the first, on the foundations of the European Constitution, Christian Franck sheds light on the limits of the analogy between Treaty and Constitution. Jean-Victor Louis retraces draft constitutions in the history of the European project and Jean-Marc Ferry studies the problem of sovereignty in a political European Union. The second part looks at the chapters that could form the charter. Emmanuelle Bribosia looks at inserting fundamental rights in the constitution, while Jean-Louis Quermonne considers the EU's institutional architecture and decision-making process. Renaud Dehousse analyses the subsidiarity principle in the European constitutional debate.
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg - Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following documents:
*** RTD Info. DG Research (Fax: (32-2) 2958220 - E-mail: rtd-info@cec.eu.int - Internet: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/research/rtdinfo/rtd-adrf.html). July 2002, No 34, 39 pp.
Is lack of scientific knowledge and understanding a myth? Maybe, going by a study carried out by this publication showing that scientific understanding may be more developed in our society that one would like to state, but the problem could be the use and abuse of science by society. This issue also contains a dossier on Johannesburg, capital of the Earth Summit (Sharing knowledge, Science and the environment - the history of a long dawn, Rio+10 - What's new? And European excellence). Other issues covered include the value of universities and rail transport.
*** Le Magazine de l'éducation et de la culture. DG Education and Culture (E-mail: eac-info@cec.eu.int - Internet: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/index_en.htm. ) 2002, No. 17, 24 pp.
A large part of the this issue is given over to the fabulous destiny of European cinema and the challenges of European broadcasting, explaining that Europe has placed itself at the service of creation and the broadcasting industry, thereby participating in the formidable renaissance of European cinema that is planning to compete with the leading segment of the US industry, amusement. Other articles looks at television, the internet and the decision of whether to dub or sub-title?
*** Revue Politique et parlementaire (21 rue de la Baume, F-75008 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 53837044 - Fax: 53830170). May-June/July-August 2002, No 1019, 18 euros. Subscription: 61 euros. ISBN 2-85702-135-6.
This issue focuses on elections, polls and the changeover between political parties, outlining some lessons to be learned from what happened in the Spring 2002 elections and suggesting a roundtable on the issue of whether polling bodies are in the eye of the storm. The electoral fortunes of the far right in Europe are also studied, while Prof. Christian de Boissieu looks at the economy and his colleague Charles Zorgbibe provides his usual international notes.
*** European Public Health Update. European Public Health Alliance (36 rue de Pascale, B-1040 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2303056 - Fax: 2333880 - E-mail: epha@epha.org - Internet: http: // http://www.epha.org ). July/August 2002, No 63, 26 pp.
In this issue on diet, health and reforming the CAP, the EPHA argues that there should be a desire to turn healthy diet into a decisive element of the reform of the CAP. Other articles looks at medicines and the EPHA's activities.
*** Actualité des Industries de Réseaux en Europe. Editions ASPE Europe (36 rue de Laborde, F-75008 Paris. Fax: (33-1) 43876891 - E-mail: aspe@club-internet.fr - Internet: http: //http://www.aspe-europe.com ). July-August 2002, No 5. 16 pp. Annual subscription: 490 euros.
The idea under scrutiny in this issue is the driving forces online that are keeping their promises, while the debate page argues that the directive on access to port services opens the door to managed competition for European ports. Other issues covered include the EU encouraging the move towards an internet protocol, services of general interest at the Convention and the hushkits issue.
Reviews in brief
*** Europe Infos. The Catholic European Study and Information Centre and the Commission of the Bishop's Conference of the European Community. July-August 2002, No 40. Brussels. The imminent reunification of Europe is the subject covered in this issue ahead of the European Council in October which will draw up a list of candidate countries that are ready to join the EU. There are also two pages on sustainable development. *** Provincia informa. Provincia di Torino. June 2002, Turin. Main subject of this publication from the province of Turin in Italy is a panorama of the job market in various parts of the province and future prospects.